The amount of times I have heard in our family “you never listen to me I have already told you this” is
If I had a dollar for every time I have these words in my family I would definetly be one rich lady . The words “you never listen to me” followed by “I told you this already “. Most of the time my children are probably right they have told me , but they have told me at the same time I am getting for work , running errands, folding washing , looking for my youngest ones footy socks two minutes before his game or multi tasking in some and many other ways. Then there is even worse times when I have said yes to something I wasn’t really paying attention to without even realising and the next moment my oldest is headed out the door to a party or outing when I needed her to be home to babysit and this is something I don’t even remember discussing. Then that’s when the “your so unfair and never listen to me rears its ugly head and it becomes the battle of the mum and dad against the teenager.
How can we avoid all this happening ? Through holding family councils! “Hardly a day passes but that I see the wisdom, Gods wisdom in creating council …..to govern his kingdom. In the spirit in which we labour, men can get together with seemingly divergent views and far different backgrounds and under the operation of that spirit , by counselling together they can arrive at an accord, and that accord…represents the wisdom of the council, acting under the spirit” (in conference report, oct 1953, 86)1.
From the readings about councils one of the points that stood out to me were, the brethren always work from angenda. I think this is important especially where it says the agenda is distributed to the twelve previously before the meeting so that all those involved can read, ponder and consider each item. This would work well in a family too so that nothing is forgotten and everyone is prepared .
To be honest I am guilty of not holding weekly family councils and this weeks readings has really made me want to change this. However I do know of a family with 4 daughters most teenagers now and two working parents, who do hold this council in there family every week. I know this because one day I was talking with the mum and I said how do you stay so on top of it all “ and then she revealed her secret and it was simple a weekly family council where they have two big boards 1. A whiteboard and 2. A cork board or pin board . On the board they will fill in every day who has this lesson, event etc and then on the other board is where school notes are pinned that need to be paid for or signed. They always start with a prayer and have gone off schedule or the agenda before but with the spirit other topics have come up that would not have in just a normal conversation in the home. Like this reading “the twelve make decisions in harmony, unity and faith, with the combined judgement of each member and in harmony with the spirit”.
Everyone is different and will hold their councils different from one couple or family to another, but I think the most important thing is that they are held, that everyone is treated equal and has a voice that is listened too.
1. President Stephen L Richards (in conference report, oct 1953, 86)
If I had a dollar for every time I have these words in my family I would definetly be one rich lady . The words “you never listen to me” followed by “I told you this already “. Most of the time my children are probably right they have told me , but they have told me at the same time I am getting for work , running errands, folding washing , looking for my youngest ones footy socks two minutes before his game or multi tasking in some and many other ways. Then there is even worse times when I have said yes to something I wasn’t really paying attention to without even realising and the next moment my oldest is headed out the door to a party or outing when I needed her to be home to babysit and this is something I don’t even remember discussing. Then that’s when the “your so unfair and never listen to me rears its ugly head and it becomes the battle of the mum and dad against the teenager.
How can we avoid all this happening ? Through holding family councils! “Hardly a day passes but that I see the wisdom, Gods wisdom in creating council …..to govern his kingdom. In the spirit in which we labour, men can get together with seemingly divergent views and far different backgrounds and under the operation of that spirit , by counselling together they can arrive at an accord, and that accord…represents the wisdom of the council, acting under the spirit” (in conference report, oct 1953, 86)1.
From the readings about councils one of the points that stood out to me were, the brethren always work from angenda. I think this is important especially where it says the agenda is distributed to the twelve previously before the meeting so that all those involved can read, ponder and consider each item. This would work well in a family too so that nothing is forgotten and everyone is prepared .
To be honest I am guilty of not holding weekly family councils and this weeks readings has really made me want to change this. However I do know of a family with 4 daughters most teenagers now and two working parents, who do hold this council in there family every week. I know this because one day I was talking with the mum and I said how do you stay so on top of it all “ and then she revealed her secret and it was simple a weekly family council where they have two big boards 1. A whiteboard and 2. A cork board or pin board . On the board they will fill in every day who has this lesson, event etc and then on the other board is where school notes are pinned that need to be paid for or signed. They always start with a prayer and have gone off schedule or the agenda before but with the spirit other topics have come up that would not have in just a normal conversation in the home. Like this reading “the twelve make decisions in harmony, unity and faith, with the combined judgement of each member and in harmony with the spirit”.
Everyone is different and will hold their councils different from one couple or family to another, but I think the most important thing is that they are held, that everyone is treated equal and has a voice that is listened too.
1. President Stephen L Richards (in conference report, oct 1953, 86)
Comments
Post a Comment