I'd love to say that I'm one of those exemplary Mormon women who lovingly plan and execute remarkable Family Home Evenings each Monday night, but this would be a bald-faced lie (which I think would be worse than holding FHE incorrectly), so I won't say that. I don't know how you all do FHE, but we do it the way that works best for us: the easy way.
We've never made it through one lesson in the regular FHE manual. It's not that they aren't great lessons, but they're kind of long, require preparation that goes unnoticed (if not mocked or destroyed) by my family, and if you want a kid to teach the lesson, you have to give him a week's notice and then
nag remind him every day until it's done. No thank you.
We don't have one of those FHE assignment boards, either - those cute tole-painted wood projects I would start at Enrichment night, promise myself I'd finish, then shove in a closet and three kids later, I'm having to find matching paint to get all the "new" names on... then it's too small because I've procreated too many times... maybe I'm the only one with this problem.
We don't have a problem with the treat or activity. That's the fun part. I do find, however, that they are required by my family if FHE is going to happen at all. When I say, "OK, time for FHE," the Bunny will ask me warningly, "DO WE HAVE A TREAT?" Commandments, shmamandments - he's not coming anywhere near that living room couch without the promise of food. Just tonight I had to have him run to the store for ice cream before we could even crack open that book. We all know which side Bunny's bread is buttered on.
That's what we don't do - here's what we DO do:
1) We use the
Gospel Principles book. The lessons are so easy and structured, yet full of awesome information, that anyone can give a stellar lesson. Brennan taught us about "Freedom of Choice" tonight and we all oohed and ahhhed at his gospel teaching prowess (but not before telling him that he was going to exercise his freedom of choice by willingly getting his hair cut this week - comments from ward members have passed the point of being teased by the Young Men leaders, to the now-you're-really-pushing-the-envelope-Jim-Gaffigan-whispery-voice danger point: "Is he worthy to pass the Sacrament? I don't know... look at that mop of hair... His parents must be heathens...").
2) Nothing is scheduled or set in stone. Certain elements of FHE are always present: the prayers, the songs, the "here's what we're doing this week," the lesson, the treat. They usually occur in order, but not without 18,000 jokes, interruptions and questions. The songs are never picked out in advance, the prayers are not assigned. Half the time we've just remembered that it's Monday night, happened to remember it before 8:00, and have just located the Gospel Principles book.
3) Though we're usually trying to "get through the lesson" in time for bed and interruptions and disruptive behavior are mostly frowned upon, we usually find ourselves laughing our heads off at something. We have to be careful with Harrison, Carter and Rosalind in particular, because their humor has developed to the point of "If once was funny, 600 more times will be even funnier" and if we laugh at something they do, pretty soon we've lost ten minutes.
Or there will be instances where Carter has a Beanie Baby, Roz wants it, he's holding it up over his head so she can't get it, he's sitting next to me, he's smacked me in the face with it at least twice, and mid-sentence, I involuntarily grab it and huck it across the room into the garbage can, causing Brennan, Bella and Harrison to howl with laughter.
Or the Bunny will have to run out of the room for unplanned-for bathroom excursions. There are just some things you can't help.
But you know, we're having it, and that's what counts.
If you have a funny FHE experience or some advice for the rest of us, please share.
