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Teaching Your Children About Their Heritage

Today is a special day here in Utah, it is the day we come together as a community and celebrate our pioneer ancestors who settled here so many years ago. Children gather in the streets as they watch our biggest parade of the year. With floats, handcarts, horses, and wagons children cheer in excitement. This is a time for each of us to remember the great sacrifices they made as they continued on their journey west. Without this annual celebration, many children may never have the opportunity to see a handcart. As parents this is a great teaching moment. Whether … Continue reading →

This Halloween, Why Not Dress Up As Your Ancestors?

Okay, so I know that it is a little bit last minute to be discussing Halloween costumes. I also know that as many of us as there are that already have our kids’ costumes in hand, there are still plenty of us that are looking for a great last-minute idea because the kids have either not decided what they want to dress up as yet or have decided that the costume that they had you buy a while ago is not what they want to wear this coming Sunday. Perhaps you have just been invited to a Halloween party and … Continue reading →

Bringing Your Research to Life

There is something comforting in knowing where you came from and the stories of your family and your ancestors. I was raised being told the stories of my grandparents when they were children, and as they grew into adults. I try to share those stories with my children as well. I’m also touched by the stories of their parents, my great grandparents and the sacrifices that each of them made to protect their family. These stories give me strength as I face the challenges in the world today. Genealogy is about finding that connection and that strength. Tracing your family … Continue reading →

Ways to go Wild with Your Family in Nature this Fall

It’s fall… which means most of us only have a few more weeks before Mother Nature’s bitter joke that is winter has us hibernating in our homes until spring. Don’t let autumn’s natural beauty pass you by. Dads, forget about football for one day, and moms, consider running errands during the week so you can use one of fall’s fleeting weekends to take the entire family outdoors for an adventure in nature. One idea: Head to your local wildlife refuge. Hundreds of wildlife refuges around the nation are using Halloween as a way to showcase creatures that are nocturnal or … Continue reading →

How to Make Your Homeschoolers Good Citizens

Yesterday I addressed the assumption that homeschoolers may turn out to be poor citizens. Realizing that this accusation is just another way to make homeschooling appear inferior, just like the socialization issue, it is still important for homeschoolers to work to invalidate such statements. Helping your homeschooled children become good citizens is actually quite simple. The most important thing you can do is model good citizenship. Here are some steps you can take. Teach students history of their country, state, and locality. Also, teach them history according to their heritage. This of course can happen in the course of homeschooling. … Continue reading →

Media Review: American Cultures for Children Video Series

The American Cultures for Children series, available on VHS and DVD, provides excellent introductions to other heritages for children. These videos give an overview of the cultural history and experience of ethnic groups in America. Their strength is that they show not only the distinct culture and scenes of a foreign land, but Americans of that culture in the U.S. today. There are twelve videos available: African-American Heritage, Arab-American Heritage, Central American Heritage, Chinese-American Heritage, Irish-American Heritage, Japanese-American Heritage, Jewish-American Heritage, Korean-American Heritage, Mexican-American Heritage, Native American Heritage, Puerto Rican-American Heritage, and Vietnamese-American Heritage. Each video follows the same format: … Continue reading →

Children’s Voices – Oh, How Sweet

A week ago my daughter had the opportunity to participate in a senior Primary children’s choir for Stake Conference. They had two practices beforehand and were asked to bring only scriptures and paper with them to sit on the stand – no toys. They would be up there for two full hours, during which time they were asked to be very reverent, and it was expected that they not leave the stand at all. I was very curious to see how it would turn out. Every single child there behaved like a little angel the whole time. I saw no … Continue reading →

Teach Your Children About Their Heritage

July is a great month to focus on your heritage. It is so easy to teach your children about their heritage and family history in conjunction with the Fourth of July and Pioneer Day at church. You could focus your family home evening lessons around the founding of our country at the beginning of this month and then mid-month talk about the pioneer heritage of the church. You can share with your children the conversion stories of the first members of the church in your family. If you are the first member then you are a pioneer and you can … Continue reading →

The Word of Wisdom and Your Example to Your Children

When we think about our children and the responsibilities that we have as parents we often focus on how they are doing spiritually, socially and academically. We want our children to be healthy, but often do not stop to think about the habits that we are teaching our children when they are young. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states: “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and … Continue reading →

Pray and Plan to Help Your Family

The family is a very important part of our church. Each family is essential in the plan of salvation. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” states: “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and … Continue reading →