Family Memories

Creating family memories helps instill in children correct principles and values. Creating these memories and fun often requires patient preparation, time, and energy but it is an investment that is worth the effort. Relationships and commitments to each other grow stronger and often valuable lessons are learned that can not be learned anywhere else.

Creating family memories and traditions has a lot to do with creating righteous traditions. The practice of these traditions is to truly keep us close to the great heritage which is ours to enjoy and should be something every family should try to keep alive. This process involves embracing all that is spiritually elevating in our family and societal traditions and discarding that which is a barrier to our eternal view and achievement. Our traditions of Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study, service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect on our children and on their future.

In our discussion in class today we talked about how learning to play, laugh and create this time with your family is just as important of an element in your child's development as your consistency in family prayer, scripture study and FHE, in fact it can even be a big part of the spiritual element in your home. I know that these spiritual traditions in my family helped us come together. I still have many fond memories of these time and even though they were not always the most productive in learning about the gospel we often learned how to meet the needs of our siblings or be able to give strength to each other as we lifted each other in laughter and love.

Some of the greatest supports to my family relationships growing up were the every day traditions of saying prayers together to the yearly getting together to reenact the nativity during Christmas time as well as eating a traditional crab dinner for Valentine's day and expressing our love to each other through simple Valentine's Day cards. Also, the tradition of my whole family attending whatever activity each sibling was involved in. Sometimes it was a drudgery to have to wake up at 6 in the morning on a Saturday to go to a baseball game an hour away but it created meaningful memories and times that we could just enjoy the company of each other and join in on fun conversations, games and activities. Soon enough we became more and more excited for these times and looked forward to support each other in our recitals, sports games or award ceremonies. Because it was a family event that we wanted to be involved with it made us want to be involved with each other every day and in turn our relationships are strengthened and enriched forever.