This all
began on Sunday, with a talk we listened to about Family Home Evening. The
speaker was Judy Holbrook. Now, Ben and I think that the Holbrook kids are
pretty awesome, so we try to adopt any parenting techniques they share, and we
can always use suggestions about Family Home Evening. Judy explained how they
would go over four family rules at each home evening, even when the kids were
little, and that their kids remembered them and were even able to rattle them
off, much to the surprise of their primary teacher, when asked what some of
their family rules were.
Ben decided
that this was the way to go, and since he had the lesson on the following
Monday, he could start it off. Monday night rolled around, and we gathered in
our living room. After a song (Adam wanted to play BINGO for us on the piano,
but it was Mom’s turn to pick), and a prayer (Adam was the prayer chooser), we
settled on the rug facing Ben as he stood over by the safety gate that
surrounds our wood stove. He asked the boys what would happen if the fire was
burning in the stove and he touched it. “You would get burned!” Both of the
boys knew the answer to this one, but Adam added that he knew because he had
done that before. Ben then explained that the gate kept us safe, and kept us
from getting burned on the stove, just like rules, rules keep us safe, and keep
us from getting hurt. So far, so good. Then Ben sat down and began teaching us
the four family rules and having us repeat after him.
WE DON’T
DRINK ALCOHOL
“But, what if you have a cut and you need to clean it?” Adam
interrupted. We clarified that this was not drinking alcohol, that alcohol has
many good uses, we just don’t drink it.
WE DON’T
SMOKE
“What about smoking salmon? The smoke goes into the salmon
and then we eat it.” Adam interjected. We assured him that smoked salmon was
okay.
WE DON’T
HAVE SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE
“How do you have sex?” Adam asked.
“It is making babies,” Ben elaborated. Adam has asked these
questions before, so we thought he would remember what this involved.
“What happens if you do sex with a girl before you are
married?” Adam asked.
“You repent,” Ben responded
“Do you have to cut
her open and take out the baby?” Adam wondered.
Ben, cool and calm under pressure, but with thoughts racing
at the speed of light, started to go off about adoption and such, but I decided
that we could have whole Family Home Evening lessons on each of these rules and
answered the question I thought Adam was really asking.
“You won’t accidentally have sex, Adam, you don’t have to
worry about that.”
WE DON’T DO
DRUGS
“How do you do drugs?” Adam questioned.
We’ll have to have another lesson on that one.
Now it’s time for the treat.
