FHWisdomAged

"I put together a 4-generation family history book for each grandchild that turns 8 and is baptized. I included info I have on each person in the 4 generations: birth, ordinations, death, pictures, service record, life history, etc and documentation for every thing in the book. It really was initially a very big project but one that was well worth doing! Also when we had grandchildren living in the area I did a "grammy night." Each week I would take one grandchild for the night -- we would have dinner (sometimes at our home & sometimes out -- we worked on manners, ordering food, etc.), then we would play games, put puzzles together, write letters to other cousins, etc. We would then end the evening by watching a favorite video of the child. Those grandchildren no longer live in the area but I can tell you we still remain close because of the love and friendship that was established during those evenings!"

From Grandma Maureen H.: One day my 16-year-old grandson and his friend were in my home and I overheard the following conversation from another room: My grandson said to his friend, "I know it's okay if I see ____________(a current popular r-rated movie) because my grandma saw it and she's the best, most spiritual person I know." I made up my mind at that moment that I would NEVER see another r-rated movie. Our example counts! We never want others to be able to use our behavior as a rationale or excuse for their doing something they shouldn't.

Additional Resources on Example

Grandfather Joseph L.: Our Church leaders are very concerned about the problem of debt in our families and the stress and problems that come with it. I noticed a recent newspaper article giving many good websites for teaching children good money habits in a fun way. This knowledge and the good habits acquired will carry over into adulthood. We could e-mail our married children these websites and perhaps as grandparents (with more time), we could teach our grandchildren, using some of these websites. Young parents are so busy, there is much we can do as grandparents to help teach our grandchildren about the gospel and about life. Grandparents can pray together for each grandchild by name, asking for inspiration and guidance on what they can do to help that particular grandchild--then discuss their thoughts and ideas together and make a definite plan.

Grandmother Alicia G.: Every Tuesday our daughters and daughters-in-law come to our home at 11:30 (if they are free that day and would like to come). Grandpa tends the kids and the girls go out to lunch (we take the babies)----sweet deal for us girls! I have noticed a measurable difference in the closeness of our relationships since doing this, among the girls, between the grandchildren and grandparents, and among the cousins.

From Grandma Suzanne M.: One of the things I made for my grandchildren is the game Silly Sue patterned after Old Maid. I put the eighteen grandchildren's pictures on the cards and gave them each special names like Marvelous Mac etc. The cousins love playing it and it keeps them close to the cousins in Michigan. Here is a link to a picture of the children playing it.

(Note from Westras: Some have made up a card game like "Memory," using pictures of ancestors, so the children get to know them by name and picture. Another variation is to have them match cards about an ancestor---with one card having the name and picture and the other card having an interesting fact about that ancestor.)

From Grandma Ruth R. (Stake R.S. President): My married daughter places a picture of the Savior on or above their television sets to remind their family members to always ask themselves this question, "Would the Savior approve of what I am watching?"

(Note from Westras: This could be expanded to include our CD players, computers, etc. You can even purchase postage-stamp size stickers with pictures of the Savior to put on small ipods, etc. to make us more aware of what we are listening to and putting into our minds. One of the mini-posters in Set 1 of the New Era Posters has a picture of the Savior and the words "You are Never Alone." That would be a good reminder to put on our computers! We like to give these mini-poster sets to our grandchildren to decorate their rooms {50 cents for set of 6 pictures. There are 6 sets in all}. We presented this idea as a Family History Minute in R.S., along with this handout. One mother told me later that she followed through on this idea in her home.)

Thoughts on Family Home Evening, shared by Grandmother W.: Many years ago, when our children were young, I read this promise by President Spencer W. Kimball while preparing a Sunday School lesson. What a wonderful promise--that not one in a hundred of your family (doesn't say just children) would ever go astray! If we were offered odds like that in any other aspect of our lives, I can't imagine us not taking advantage of it. I knew the Lord kept his promises, and I wanted to do my part to make it happen. If ever we missed FHE, that promise would come back to my mind, and get us back on track. Even now, as empty-nesters, it keeps us having FHE because we have an even larger family that we do not want to go astray. I think Family Home Evening is one of the greatest gifts we have to strengthen our families here on this side of the veil.

"We cannot impress too much the importance of having family home evenings once a week. "...that you may be rewarded by a fulfillment of the promise that if fathers and mothers will discharge this responsibility, not one in a hundred of your family, as has been said by the leaders who have preceded us, would ever go astray."

Forward from the 1974 Family Home Evening Manual by President Spencer W. Kimball

Idea Shared by Grandma W: Here is a link to a book list that was given to me by a School Counselor (elementary age). She uses these books to help the children she works with in the various schools. The books teach good lessons through fun stories---lessons on getting along with others, respecting differences, feeling good about yourself, helping others, etc. The stories can spark many helpful family discussions and can be used for FHE, etc. You could make this list available to your wards and stakes to help strengthen your families. As a grandma, I order these books put on hold (over the internet) at the library, pick them up and have a pile at our home for when our grandchildren come. It is an easy wonderful service in our County Library system.

Shared by Grandma Debbie Curtis: When our daughter Katie and her husband Dave were living in Richmond, Va., they felt fortunate that there was a temple only 2 hours away in Washington, DC. This way, they could take a day and attend the temple, the only hitch was what to do with their 3 children, not having any family around that wanted three extra ones around for the day. One Saturday, I called Katie on my way home from the temple, to sort of complain that I had had to wait at least 45 minutes to do Initiatory work. She started to laugh and said that she had been waiting for two hours in the Washington, DC Temple parking lot with my three active grandchildren in the car while Dave was doing a temple session, and then when he was done, he was going to wait in the car while she went in to do a session. Needless to say, she gave me no sympathy for the time I had had to wait, and I hung up from our conversation impressed that this young family was so committed to temple attendance that they went to great lengths to make it happen.

Idea shared by a grandmother: Daily personal prayer and daily scripture reading are very important to keep our families close to the Lord. A fun idea we used in our family when our children were young, to encourage these good habits, was weekly "Scripture Treats." I would buy a variety of candy bars on sale. At Family Home Evening each week, I would bring out a tray full of different candy bars. Each person that had read their personal scriptures every day got to choose a candy bar. This also helped our children look forward to FHE each week.

Shared by Grandma Pam Freestone (Director, Salt Lake Granger South Family History Center): My 13-year-old grandson came to our house the other day, and wanted to see my new laptop, which has Windows Vista on it. He was all over the computer, asking this question and that. I let him investigate for a while and then I asked if he had seen my family history .........................(read what happened next)