Wife Like Me

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I do not consider myself an expert on this topic. Getting adults to stop everything, sit quietly, and listen to anyone for eight hours in one weekend is difficult enough, even when they think the cause is worthy and the speakers are saying something important. My own kids have an attention span of 10 seconds to 5 minutes, tops, even when they’re watching a favorite cartoon. So, I have to consider my expectations of myself and my kids before I try to come up with ways to improve the situation.

I think it’s important to set a precedent, tone, and expectation that “our family watches General Conference.” Like going to church, we may not hear and/or digest a lot of what the speakers say, but we show up every week and we try to listen, if only to show God, our children, and ourselves that church is important to us and to get the blessings of being obedient. We participate in General Conference because we are blessed to have a prophet on the earth today who has something to say to us that Jesus Christ wants us to hear. It’s sacred time, not a vacation.

The kids can’t be expected to listen during General Conference any better than they sit through any other meeting already. I know what my kids do now during other meetings, and I should expect a similar experience.

I need to remember that God understands my circumstances and if I do my best to prepare, show up, and listen while keeping up my motherly calling, if he’s got something to say that I need to hear now, he’ll make it happen. “It is by grace ye are saved…”

Okay, that said, how do I help set a tone of “this is what we do and we’re blessed to be able to do it” and help the kids to a) pay attention as much as they are capable and b) keep them from distracting me?

Prepare in Advance

Practice with the kids acting how we want to act when listening to General Conference. Practice sitting in the way you want to sit together. Practice whispering. Practice any other rules (food/no food, stay in the room or not, phone or no phone, etc.). Practice appropriate activities like taking notes, coloring, Conference Bingo, needle work, rolling a ball quietly across the floor if you’re at home, etc.

Have a General Conference Family Home Evening the Monday before Conference weekend. Discuss what happens during Conference and any expectations you have of the group.

Talk about who speaks at General Conference. Show them pictures of the Apostles and First Presidency, and help them learn their names and something about each one.

Talk about what you hope to hear during General Conference. Maybe your family needs an answer to a prayer you can listen for together.

During General Conference

Pass out paper and crayons/pens/colored pencils for note-taking and coloring. Possibly give everyone a topic to write/color about (prophet, someone’s talk, Jesus, etc.).

Give the kids a digital or tape recorder to covertly record bits of General Conference to play back to everyone later. Make it a guessing game to figure out who the speaker was or let everyone try to remember what the talk was about that the clip comes from.

I have nothing against using a little food to help keep everyone quiet and busy.

Give everyone a General Conference activity packet and compare notes afterwards.

Choose a “family word” (faith, Jesus Christ, music, prophet, etc.) to listen for and then have everyone make a reverent sign (raise your hand, popcorn-popping hands, fold your arms, touch your shoulders, etc.) when they hear it.

Stand any time the congregation is supposed to stand in the Conference Center. Maybe take a quick walk around the room whenever there’s a song.

Sing along with the choir (if you’re at home). Definitely sing when the congregation is supposed to sing.

Bring along some books, religious or not, for the kids to read. Make a book of pictures of the General Authorities or of Jesus for the kids to look at. Buy or make a “quiet book” with quiet tactile activities to do like zipping and buttoning and braiding.

If you have really little ones like me, I think it’s best to plan a break and walk back and forth at the back of the room a couple of times besides during musical numbers. It’s just too hard for kids to sit still in one place for two hours in a row. If you’re at home, maybe make it a running break.

Between Sessions

Let everyone get some energy out. Play a game that requires movement. Try duck-duck-goose or Simon Says or Ring Around the Rosie with little ones. It’s easier on Saturday when you don’t have to worry about breaking the Sabbath. Go outside and run, or play basketball, or jump on the trampoline. Whatever your family likes to do together.

Eat. Healthy. Not too much, or you’ll put everyone to sleep. Make sure everyone has enough healthy food to get them through the next session.

Talk about what you heard in the last session. See if there’s anything that everyone felt prompted to work on as a family.

Take a nap. Hopefully it’ll refresh you and keep you awake for the next session.

How about getting a babysitter between sessions and taking a break from wrangling the kiddos? Then you can come back ready to go again.

Not comprehensive nor practical for everyone, I know, but it’s a start. Will anyone else share some ideas?

Tags: Kids