Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3 (January 28- February 3)

This week we aren't entirely sure. There were two family ideas that stuck out to us.

1. One said to get a dirty object and talk about repentance. My son isn't always interested in helping clean up but there are several things that need cleaning this week at my house. So even if he doesn't help I'm going to try to do cleaning in front of him (mirrors, windows, floor). I plan to point out that it's dirty, then clean it and say much better or all clean. Then I'm going to say, "when we repent we can become clean". He may not make the connection, but hopefully if i repeat it enough times he'll at least remember it for the future.

2. The first idea talked about how Jesus went to John the Baptist because he had the Aaronic Priesthood. Well we often say Priesthood keys and my son is obsessed with keys. So this week, I'll point out the right keys (the one to the car, our house, grandma's house) and say "Jesus went to John to get baptized because he had the right key to get into heaven."

Video story: gospel library, children, new testament stories chapter 10 (i think i used that last week too... but the story applies here when the reading is predominantly about his baptism)

John 1 (January 21-27)

Story videos: Gospel Library app, then Children, then New Testament stories and Chapter 10.

For this week, one of the ideas asks you to read John 1:4-10 and sharing how the Savior is the Light of their lives. Well we simplified this. We turn out the lights (right before bedtime), then we take a flashlight and shine the light and all we said is "Jesus Christ is like a light. We follow Jesus, so we have to follow the light." So we went on a field trip following the light in the house. We let him have a turn shining the flashlight and then led him to bed. My kid kept saying "Jesus Christ" and "light" so I'd say that's a success. We'll repeat again throughout the week.

Luke 2; Matthew 2 (January 14-20)

If your child will sit for a story video you can go to the Gospel Library, Children and then New Testament Stories and there's Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

For us, we were able to get through most of the story videos throughout the week and then we usually sing at bedtime, so we sang "Mary's Lullaby" first (one of the suggested songs in the family ideas). The other song suggestion was "The Nativity Song" but I don't know that one well enough.

Matthew 1; Luke 1 (January 7-13)

This week we came up with two ideas. One of the family ideas talked about family history. Well I think that's a little above my toddler's head but our dollar store has photo albums. So I bought one. We are (still) making a photo album of current family members. We're using Christmas cards and facebook pictures for parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Then my son is starting to get nightmares, so along with the second one that talks about people are fearful... we're not directly addressing the scriptures, but we're starting to say, "Is that scary? It's ok, Jesus is here" Our toddler version of "Fear not God is with thee".

If my son will sit, there are correlating story videos for the week in the Gospel Library App under Children and then New Testament Stories. Chapter 1, 2, 3 and 4

Come Follow Me with a Toddler

So, many people are starting Come Follow Me blogs. I subscribed to one and like her ideas, but my kid is in nursery and very active, and I thought, I'm going to share what we're doing. If you like it- great! If not, fine. :)

First off, this is how we're doing the program. After shortened church on Sunday, we let my son play or turn on a show for him. My husband and I read together the next weeks chapters and then over the family idea section. (We try to just get my son distracted with playing with something so maybe he'll overhear us reading, but we don't do anything to try to get him to sit and listen. I love reading to him and he won't even sit for that most of the time....). Then we decide together what we want to do and that's what I'm going to be sharing.

Getting behind... now if you're like me, sometimes you get behind on goals and then start feeling overwhelmed by trying to "catch up". Honestly, my husband and I, didn't even attempt to do the first week. When we went to do our first one he asked if I wanted to go back and I said, "Nope! I don't want to be behind. So we're just going to be current, whether we have done the past stuff or not." So I hope if any readers grow to be dependent on me, instead of just using this as a resource- I hope for your sake that I stay current. :)

I decided I wanted to do more with my child even though he's young and honestly I don't think he'd sit for a lesson. My Mom is his nursery leader and actively tries to do lessons in nursery. She tells me that my son is rarely sitting and focused when she teaches. Yet.... he knows about prayers mostly from praying at snack time (which they no longer are doing with shortened church, but, she was doing it....). And she made puppets for the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter sinking. When we were over at her house he found her puppets and said, "Jesus" and "Peter" and "Ahhhh!" (while kinda shaking the Peter puppet- maybe he was sinking? But he still learned their names from the lesson). So I realized I really do need to up my game, even if it is in small and simple ways. So, that's where we are. I'll back track for the weeks we have done as a family for people interested, but they will likely all be short blurbs of a few sentences- maybe a full paragraph if I'm long-winded that day.