Fisher Family Traditions: Family Time

I've always found it important to re-evaluate the way we do things and make changes as necessary (which should be normal, really, if we're repenting as we should).  However, when we think we've got a good idea we tend to want to hold onto it.  One of our favorite family traditions is something call Family Time.

Family Time is a lot like Family Home Evening, except that it's simpler and we do it every day.  In the Church we've repeatedly been counseled to pray together daily as a family and to read scriptures together daily.  We've also been counseled that music invites the Holy Ghost.  These things are the foundation of Family Time.

A while back we also picked up a part I called "gathering".  With that added in, here's how our tradition goes before the kids' bedtime:

Gathering consists of tidying up the living room (which helps Mama to keep the house clean) and then sitting reverently while I play some music on the piano (generally from the Children's Songbook).  I explain to the kids that when we're reverent, we listen to the Holy Ghost, and I sometimes ask what the Holy Ghost told them.  I figure that by practicing reverence at home, the kids will be better at being reverent at church and at other appropriate times.

After gathering, we sing a song together.  For now this is usually from the Children's Songbook instead of the Hymnal.  Sometimes we sing a song that we don't know well, and occasionally one that none of us has even heard before.  If we need to, one of the parents speaks a line of the lyrics before we sing them.  We then read several verses of scripture.  The passage could be as short as two verses (not very often at all) or even a whole chapter (also not very often), though usually it's closer to five or six verses.  The length of the passage is not really important; mostly we want to talk about whatever idea or ideas are contained in the given passage.  We've been reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning, and after a few years we're almost through 3 Nephi.  We give everyone a chance to "read"; the younger kids repeat back the words of a verse as a parent reads them. (At one point our three-year old displayed some unwillingness to participate; we used his natural sense of possessiveness to our advantage.  We ask, "Who gets to read Marshall's verse?" to which he happily raises his hand and says, "Me!"  It works almost without fail.)  As the kids participate this way they're also practicing their skills with either reading or memory.  Depending on what the passage, we might even act out what we've read so that the kids can better understand.  After we've read scripture we pray.  For this prayer we kneel in a circle, and lately we've taken to also holding hands as well.

We try to keep up the tradition even when it's not convenient, such as when travelling.  We've even had Family Time in the van.  Sometimes we cut it a little bit short if necessary, though I'm always wary of selling ourselves short.  The kids are accustomed to it and prod us as well.  When we've wanted to keep it short by just having a family prayer, our sweet little three-year-old reminds us that we "forgot to read scriptures".  Because of his encouragement, I've made sure to make the effort to read together even if it's late.

When we get the opportunity, we invite others to participate in our Family Time.  It's a treat for us, and it provides a missionary experience as well when our guests are not members of the Church.  I think it's one of the best ways to bring the Holy Ghost to people.

And, on Mondays, we have Family Home evening, which at a minimum also includes an opening prayer and a lesson but often also involves testimonies, an activity, and a treat.

Last thoughts for now:
Family Time is a wonderful tradition for us.  I know that our family and our individual children are strengthened because of it.  The kids expect it, and while we still need a lot of practice being reverent, they're learning a bit every day.  I'm grateful for the counsel of living prophets and am glad that we've found a good tradition by which we can obey that counsel.