Cover FHE

I feel that my kids are at such perfect ages to actually listen to Stephen and I.  They are soaking in all that we are trying to teach them.  Family Home Evening is such a perfect time to teach.  I had been thinking of what I want to teach them, and then realized that all of the topics I want them to know are covered in the Strength of Youth pamphlet.  SOOO this summer we are going to use it to make lessons and the kids will also teach some of the lessons.  What a perfect way to strengthen my kids with the Strength of Youth.

Last night I did a lesson on dress and appearance.  I used an object lesson that Julie Ruesch had shared with me.  I started out by showing the kids covers of various magazines.  I asked them the following questions…

• What kind of magazine is this?
• What type of articles would we find in it?
• Do we get an idea about the contents of the magazine from the cover?

Then I opened a magazine and read a selected paragraph from it.  (I actually put a New Era inside a People magazine cover).  So the cover didn’t fit the contents inside.  I then asked…

• Would you expect that in here?
• Why?
• How would you compare this to an outward appearance versus what is on the inside?

This brought on a big discussion.  I used excerpts from a talk and also the Strength of Youth. We talked about how originally, the main purpose of clothing was to cover our bodies and protect them from the elements.  “ Those purposes continue, although clothing now serves more complex purposes too. Today it can be an expression of many things such as wealth, social status, individuality, or belonging. But clothing also reflects our attitudes and values.”   I reminded them over and over the following quote,

“The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside”

We talked about Nathan and how he always has a soccer shirt on and that reflects how much he probably likes soccer on the inside.  Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act. 

They say to “Never judge a book by its cover.”  BUT it is always hard not to because that is what we first see.  SO we have to make our “Covers” who we are!

I hope all that makes sense.  It was a great night and I think they all caught the message.  Now my hope is for them to remember it, and to dress appropriately as they get older.