I've recently started an official family story time in our home. If you've read my last post, you'll recall that I've been really missing my children lately as so many of our waking hours are spent outside of the home. I was longing for some family together time and while I am still working, story time seemed one of the only realistic ways to fit it in. Little did I know what a difference half an hour a day would make!
Right after dinner (which is about 7:15 in our house), the children go get their PJ's on and brush their teeth. The first night we did this, there were a couple of complaints about getting ready for bed so early. However, by the third night, they were rushing to get changed so that we could start reading!
We all pile onto the brown couch in our living room with our blankets and when we're all there, I begin to read. I wasn't sure how this was going to go over, since I had chosen a chapter book with very few pictures. The book was recommended in a homeschooling book that I read and it's pretty old school. It's also about an Amish family, right down to the bonnets and beards... I wasn't sure if the kids were even going to like it! But as I started reading, the fidgeting stopped and four children under the age of nine listened intently.
The book is called School Days with The Millers and it's one of a series of books about the Miller Family. Each chapter is a story- start to finish- about everyday living and what it means to live for Christ each day. Each story uses a Bible verse to help children understand what God says about that particular lesson.
Well, the stories were definitely applicable to the lives of my children. Immediately, they began to share after each chapter, situations in which they had faced similar challenges or ideas about how they could handle a situation in the future. Even our youngest (only 3 years old) could grasp the lessons in her own 3-year old way. After the first story, I was begged to continue, so now we read 3 chapters each night and discuss them as we go.
After we read, we pray as a family. I ask the children who would like to pray and anyone who wants to, gets a turn. Usually, everyone prays. Since I've been reading for 20 minutes, I usually listen, and Peter closes us in prayer by thanking God for our children and praying blessings on them as they head to bed.
I feel amazed at what a difference this half hour a day has made in our lives. It's half an hour of snuggling, reading, sharing and praying together. As a parent, I feel closer to my children and happy that our children are taking this opportunity to share their experiences with us. This is something that wasn't happening before!
It's been two weeks of reading together and we are all still enjoying it. I'm glad I purchased all of the Miller books, because we're already almost finished the first one. I just wanted to thank God today for using an old school book, blankets and half an hour a day to make a difference in our lives!
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