"Love at Home" FHE Lesson

For more ready-to-print FHE lessons visit http://thegoldenseven.blogspot.com.

♥Love At Home♥ By Lara Goold

Materials needed: Scriptures, wedding picture, current family picture

Purpose: To help family members to find better solutions to solving problems than arguing, yelling, disobeying, or

saying mean things and by so doing, making our homes happy places that are filled with love.

Scriptures: Mosiah 4:14

Opening song and prayer: “A Happy Family”, Children’s Songbook, page 198

Note to Parents: In order to keep a spirit of love during this lesson, it is important not to hold up specific children for

negative examples. This will not foster the spirit of love this lesson is meant to enhance, and is likely to

create resentment and defensiveness. Speak vaguely about specific issues you are having in your home

and focus more on recognizing positive ways to deal with conflict and frustrations.

Lesson:

Show picture of Mary and Jesus as a child: First emphasize to them that Jesus was once a child like

them and although he was perfect he probably liked to run and play like they do and even faced many of

the same temptations that they face, so Heavenly Father blessed him with a family (Mary and Joseph) to

love, teach, and take care of him.

Show picture from your wedding and ask: Do you know how many years ago we got married? Do you

know what temple this was? Do you know why we got married in the temple?

Very briefly talk of how you loved each other so much that you wanted to make sure your family could be

together forever. Even though none of them were born yet, you knew you wanted them to be a part

of your forever family someday.

Song: Sing, “Families Can Be Together Forever,” Hymns, page 300

Show current family picture: Talk about how happy you were when you found out that each one of them

was coming to join your family and how grateful you are that you have a forever family.

Ask (while still showing picture): Do you think that Heavenly Father wants us to be grumpy and mean to

each other? Of course not. Heavenly Father wants our homes to be places where we feel

love and can grow and learn together, but in order to make this happen we all have to work to do our part.

Explain how sad it makes you (and Heavenly Father) when people are fighting or arguing with each other

and that together everyone can work to make your home a happier place.

Role Play: Tell them that we are going to practice finding positive solutions to frustrating experiences

we may face. There’s no exactly right way to do it, but the point is that you do not yell, disobey, tear

down, or say mean things. We want to do the thing that will best help our home to be a happy, peaceful

place.

Take turns picking a slip listed with a negative situation and find a happy solution to the problem.

Reinforce this experience during the week, by trying to intercept people as they’re beginning to get

frustrated and point out the different choices they face at that moment. Remind them of this activity.


Activities:

“Do We Live At Your House” (fruits and vegetables): Take turns pulling a fruit or vegetable out of the

basket and read the descriptions of behavior that each possesses. Take this opportunity to discuss whether

it is exhibiting a good or bad behavior and if it is bad, how it could change the behavior to make their

home a happier place.

Enrichment/Challenge:

Give someone a “heart attack”: Let mom start this game by doing something nice for someone

anonymously and when it’s completed leave them the “heart attack”. Whomever receives the heart attack

takes the next turn secretly doing something nice for someone else and quietly passing on the heart attack

and so it passes on. Encourage the family to make sure everyone in the family gets a turn during the week

and see the joy that comes from giving quiet acts of love. (Note: From personal experience, I suggest

that mom or dad keep tabs on the heart through the week and give encouragement and ideas to

whomever’s turn it is).

General Authority Quotes: Cut them out, mount them onto fancy paper, and hang them up around your

home to help you remember to look for positive solutions to frustrations you may be facing.

Awards for Positive Behavior: (Sample awards below) Using the fruits and vegetables from the “Do We

Live At Your House?”activity that exhibit positive behaviors, use it as an opportunity to focus in on

positive behaviors in your children. Pay attention to the positive strives they make and give them awards

generously. I recommend having them hang them on their door or wall for extra reinforcement. In our

family we made a goal of reaching a certain number of goals as a family by the end of the week and then

we’d all participate in a fun activity together. We didn’t want it to become an individual competition.

Make more copies of specific awards (or make your own), if necessary. The purpose is to focus on and

reward their positive behaviors.

Closing song and prayer: “Love is Spoken Here”, Children’s Songbook, page 190-191

Refreshments: see below for a fun treat recipe.


Crunchy Cookie Sandwiches with Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling from http://recipeshoebox.blogspot.com

COOKIES:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup flaked coconut

FILLING:

1 package (8-oz) cream cheese

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups (12-oz.) semisweet chocolate chips, melted

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking

soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Add oats, cornflakes, and coconut.

Shape into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass

dipped lightly in flour. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire

racks to cool.

For filling, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the chocolate; mix well. Spread about 1

tablespoon on half of the cookies and top each with another cookie. Store in the refrigerator. Makes

about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!



Role Play: print and cut. Place slips in basket or bowl for people to draw out of.

I’ve intentionally made these scenarios thought provoking, since they are situations that would justifiably be frustrating

experiences for the child. The point of this experience is to get them to find other ways to deal with their frustrations than yelling,

disobeying, hitting, or saying mean things. Solutions can be talking calmly about the problem, finding creative solutions to remedy

the situation, or just taking a deep breath and trying to do what’s right for the best of the family. (For example, with the mitten

stealing scenario, the person could calmly talk to their mom without whining and tell the situation, then they could put socks on

their hands to play outside for now, then when the sister returns, the child, the sister, and the mom can have a calm discussion

about the problem maybe working out a way for them to share the mittens. )

Scenario: Your little brother just kicked down

your block tower. He’s too young to know

better, but you worked really hard on it and are

feeling very upset.

What should you do? What shouldn’t you do?

Scenario: Your sister wore your mittens

because she lost hers and now you want to go

outside and play too and there aren’t any

mittens left.


Scenario: You are really excited to have a friend

over to play with you today, but your little sister

keeps following you around trying to join in on

your activities. You’ve asked her nicely to leave

you alone, but she keeps following you.


Scenario: You are really excited to go see a

movie with a friend, but their mom decides to

go see it the next day instead. The next day is a

Sunday so you can’t go see the movie and you

are very disappointed.


Scenario: It’s your turn to help with the dishes,

but you are excited to keep playing in the fort

you built earlier. Your mom asks you to please

come take your turn, but you really, really don’t

feel like it today.


Scenario: Dad has asked you to pick up the toys

in the toy room, but you didn’t get any of the

toys out yourself. It doesn’t seem fair that you

should have to pick up toys that other people

left out.


Scenario: Your brother found your goody bag

from your best friend’s birthday party and ate

all the candy out of it. You are really annoyed

and feel like yelling at him.


Scenario: The baby woke up a lot last night and

now Mom is having a bad day and keeps yelling

at everyone. You’re feeling kind of grumpy too

and don’t want to help right now.



“Do we live at your house?” : print onto heavy cardstock and laminate if desired






“Do we live at your house?” : print (2) onto heavy cardstock, staple front and back together along sides and bottom (so it can hold the food)


“Do we live at your house?” behavior descriptions: (PAGE 1)

(Listed in alphabetical order by the name of the fruit or vegetable—apple, bean, beet, carrot, etc.)

Now here comes Always Ready Apple. It is so nice to see her, because she is always the first one ready in the

mornings, then she helps her little brother and sister get ready. It makes her whole family happy when she

helps. Always Ready Apple is a nice person to have around. Does she live at your house?

Oh, here is Bossy Bean. He spends his time bossing everyone around. He always has to be in charge and he

must always be first. He bosses others around, telling them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. He

always chooses the very best for himself. It is very sad that he hasn’t learned how much fun it is to share. Does

he live at your house?

And we can’t overlook Boisterous Beet. When she is around you can’t even hear anyone else. She is always

yelling, running, and making a big racket. At the dinner table, she talks louder than everyone else. In a crowd

it is easy to find her; just listen for the loudest voice. Even at church you can see her running and talking in the

hallways. Let’s hope Boisterous Beet doesn’t live at your house.

Here is someone who cares about everyone. His name is Caring Carrot. When his little sister was sick, he

colored with her in her coloring book. That made them both happy. He also helped put a bandage on his

brother’s scraped knee. He gives lots of hugs and smiles and is very thoughtful too. He helped old Mr. Bentley

rake his leaves and brought in the newspaper for Mrs. Peterson. Caring Carrot is a friend to everyone and it

makes us all happy when he is home!

How can we harvest a happy home? Sharing Celery will share a secret. Try to share everything….your time,

your cares, your work, your smile, and especially your love!

Here is a happy face, Cheery Cherry always wears a smile and makes everyone happy. She does her work

with a smile and sometimes even sings a happy song. She is even cheerful when it’s her turn to do the dishes.

She has lots of friends, because she’s so fun to be with. I sure hope Cheery Cherry lives at your house.

This is Greedy Grape. She always wants the most, the best, and she always wants to be first. When there is

just one cookie—she wants it, when the kids play baseball—she wants to bat first. Greedy Grape never thanks

anyone or thinks about what others like. She only thinks about herself. I hope she doesn’t live at your house.

Oops, we almost forgot about Pokey Pear. She always comes in late, because she pokes around until the last

minute and then can’t catch up in time. Her mom has to call and call to get her up every morning. Pokey Pear

pokes around and plays until it’s time to leave for school, then makes everyone else late because she can’t find

her shoes. Of course, she never finishes her homework on time and usually ends up handing it in late. Poor

Pokey Pear almost poked along too late to get in this story. Have you seen Pokey Pear? Not at your house, I

hope.


“Do we live at your house?” behavior descriptions: (PAGE 2)

Next I want you to meet Polite Potato. You will like getting to know him. He makes others happy by being

polite. He always remembers to say “please” and “thank you” and to wait for his turn. He never yells when he

is inside and is very careful not to knock over others’ toys. Everyone likes it when Polite Potato is around. I

hope you are a Polite Potato at your house.

Tidy Tomato loves to keep everything neat and clean. She makes her bed every morning and hangs up her

own clothes. She helps her brother pick up his toys and even helps her sister put away the dishes. Whenever

she sees litter she puts it in the garbage. It is always nice to be in the clean house when Tidy Tomato lives.

Does she live at your house?

Now I want you to meet Whining Watermelon. Poor Whining Watermelon uses his weak and whiny voice to

always complain that he has to do more jobs than his brothers and sisters, and that he never gets a turn.

Whining Watermelon is always feeling sorry for himself and is so busy pouting, that he never has any fun.

Does Whining Watermelon live with you?


Give a “heart attack” to someone you love: print onto heavy cardstock and laminate (or mount onto

cardboard). This needs to be durable since it will be passed from person to person all week.


General Authority Quotes:

“No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family, is of greater value to God and future humanity than other riches. In such a home God can work miracles, and will work miracles. Pure hearts, in a pure home are always whispering distance to heaven.” President David O. McKay

“Happy homes

give their

inhabitants a

taste of heaven on

earth.”

President David O McKay

“When you are irritated—and irritations arise in almost every

family—control yourself and help the others to control themselves. I would

like to see every home…be a bit of heaven on earth.”

Franklin D. Richards

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“Make it a family objective to all be together in the

celestial kingdom. Strive to make your home a little

bit of heaven on earth so that after this life is over,

you may be able to say:

‘We are all here,

Father, mother, sister, brother, All who hold each other dear.

Each chair is filled-- We’re all at home…We’re all here.’”

Thomas S. Monson

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥


Positive Behavior Awards: Print, cut, and award them freely!

Caring Carrot Award for

being thoughtful, kind, and

caring!

Polite Potato Award for

remembering to use your

manners the first time!

Tidy Tomato Award for

doing chores without being

asked!

Always Ready Apple Award

for jumping up and getting

ready without being asked!

Cheery Cherry Award for

keeping a smile on your

face while you help!

Sharing Celery Award for

cheerfully sharing your time

or belongings!

Caring Carrot Award for

being thoughtful, kind, and

caring!

Cheery Cherry Award for

keeping a smile on your

face while you help!

Tidy Tomato Award for

doing chores without being

asked!

Always Ready Apple Award

for jumping up and getting

ready without being asked!

Polite Potato Award for

remembering to use your

manners the first time!

Sharing Celery Award for

cheerfully sharing your time

or belongings!

Documents

"Love at Home" FHE Lesson