I have always loved General
Conference. Even when I was a kid. I suppose that's why I wanted my
children to learn to love conference, too, in spite of other conflicting
influences that surround them. So this is what I did--and still do.
When my children grew old enough to read and write, we made one conference day a "candy day;" meaning, while we listened to both sessions, we took notes. Mine were in the form of questions, and my children recorded whatever they thought was important or what they thought I might ask (they also wrote whenever they saw me write).
Then after each session ended, I asked my questions, and they took turns answering them. I would ask many simple ones, such as "What was the opening song?" "Who spoke first?" and "President Monson said we should do what if we need help?" (Pray). But I also occasionally asked more complicated questions of the older children, related to specific stories and scriptures. If they answered correctly, I gave them a piece of candy (fun sized candy bars), if they didn't, I'd go around the circle until someone knew the answer. If no one did, I gave them the answer and moved on. More likely than not, however, someone would have the answer and win the prize. I have always made sure I had lots of questions so everyone came away with lots of candy. Everyone felt rewarded.
And so did I. Partly because of the chocolate (grin), but mostly because I had the opportunity to both go over--and sometimes reteach--every talk from that session. I was also able to see happiness reflected in my children's faces; not only were they building fond, family memories of conference, but they were also, more importantly, learning to feast on the real "treats" of the gospel.
This is one tradition I'm very glad I started.
When my children grew old enough to read and write, we made one conference day a "candy day;" meaning, while we listened to both sessions, we took notes. Mine were in the form of questions, and my children recorded whatever they thought was important or what they thought I might ask (they also wrote whenever they saw me write).
Then after each session ended, I asked my questions, and they took turns answering them. I would ask many simple ones, such as "What was the opening song?" "Who spoke first?" and "President Monson said we should do what if we need help?" (Pray). But I also occasionally asked more complicated questions of the older children, related to specific stories and scriptures. If they answered correctly, I gave them a piece of candy (fun sized candy bars), if they didn't, I'd go around the circle until someone knew the answer. If no one did, I gave them the answer and moved on. More likely than not, however, someone would have the answer and win the prize. I have always made sure I had lots of questions so everyone came away with lots of candy. Everyone felt rewarded.
And so did I. Partly because of the chocolate (grin), but mostly because I had the opportunity to both go over--and sometimes reteach--every talk from that session. I was also able to see happiness reflected in my children's faces; not only were they building fond, family memories of conference, but they were also, more importantly, learning to feast on the real "treats" of the gospel.
This is one tradition I'm very glad I started.
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