Children’s Class Assistants

By Alison B.

Thank you for helping with our Relief Society Children’s Class.

The Children’s class leader is__________________. Her telephone number is_____________________. Please call her if you have any questions.

*You will need to be in the nursery by_________________on Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Night. You will need to be there until__________________.

*2 or more people are asked to serve in the children’s class at one time. You will be serving with____________________. Their telephone number is__________________.

*If you cannot serve that night it is expected that you will find your own replacement and notify the children’s class leader.

*A copy of the lesson and format will be given to you 2 weeks in advance. Please work with the other assistant to plan the evening for the children.

*Treats will be provided for you that night and for all other materials. Please coordinate with the children’s class leader.

*Suggested format-see previous item in newsletter.

Explanation:

Greeting and Playtime……Welcome children, learn names, opening prayer.

Teaching time……………….Short lesson previously prepared.

Artistic time…………………..Can be as simple as a coloring page.

Snack time……………………Don’t forget blessing on the food.

Music time……………………Singing, movement to music-see cc tape.

Playtime……………………….Relax!

Closing and Cleanup………Help children put toys away, closing prayer, and

dismissal to mother.

*Please bring child to mother in cases of tears, diaper needs, or any other needs that you cannot handle.

Again-thank you for helping with our children. You assistance is needed to help make our night a success.

(This worked very well for us - people were willing to help in the nursery as it was called at the time, I think because of all the planning that went on. )

Correlated Children’s Class Lessons

By Alison B.

1. Strengthening Families….We Can Pray As A Family…………………………………….pg 89

2. Spiritual Development…Heavenly Father and Jesus Gave Us the Scriptures….pg 135

3. Increasing Patience, Love, and Trust…I Can Love Others……………………………..pg 111

4. Balanced Lives…We Have A Living Prophet……………………………………………….pg 142

5. Temple Blessings…Families Can be Together Forever…………………… …………..pg 84

6. Friendship and Family Ties…I Love My Whole Family…………………………………..pg 81

7, Service….We Can All Help At Church………………………………………………………..pg 145

8. Self-Reliance…I Can Do Many Things……………… ………………………………………..pg 71

9. Personal and Family Development and Education…I Am A Child of God…………..pg 1

10. Sacrifice and Consecration….I Can Be Obedient…………………………………………pg 92

It is suggested that lesson materials plus a sheet of instructions be given to the children’s class assistants 2 weeks before the class time. 2 copies are needed.  The children’s class leader must be there early to set up the room, greet the assistants, and make sure everything is in order. This is her responsibility for the night. She also needs to check periodically during the night, and be there at closing and cleanup time.

Children’s Class

submitted by Alison B. in August, 2000

1st Counselor, Stake Relief Society Presidency, Denver, Colorado.

Something we were told at orientation in Salt Lake. We were all asking questions about how to make the children’s class work better. They took us to the handbook and told about the intent of this class for children.

They said it is not for all the children in the ward (Wow! Did this cause murmurs!) . Only for Single moms or sisters whose husbands are in school or at work. All other fathers were expected to stay home with their children and encourage their wives to attend Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting.

We have asked our Bishops to announce in Priesthood Meeting or Sacrament Meeting this very fact the week before Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting.

Hope this helps when we have wards with tons of children of all age groups and you have a hard time staffing the class. Maybe numbers will drop and more sisters will attend.

Relief Society Children’s Class Format

This is from my Feb-Mar 2000 newsletter - long

Purpose: To provide a safe, organized place where young children can develop an understanding and love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, have positive experiences in a church setting, and grow feelings of self-worth while their mothers are attending Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting.

Sources: Scriptures, Primary 1 Manual and aids, and any nursery materials that have gone through correlation, such as previous nursery manuals.

Children: 18months-3 years usually. If class is routinely made up of children of all different ages, a separate class may be held of slightly older children. The oldest children may help as Children’s Class assistants.

A Suggested Format

Greeting and Playtime……………………..30 minutes

Teaching time…………………………………15 minutes

Artistic time…………………………………….20 minutes

Snack time……………………………………..20 minutes

Music time……………………………………..15 minutes

Playtime…………………………………………20 minutes

Closing and cleanup time…………………Rest of time

As you can see, this is a 2-plus hour block of time. The Children’s Class should also start and end with prayer. It is suggested that Children’s Class assistants attend 15 minutes before Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment Meeting starts and 15 minutes after.

The counselor over Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment oversees the children’s class leader and assistants. (After the Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment leader, this is the person I would work on calling. On that night-she is a lifesaver!)

Food: Snacks are needed during class time because this is such a large stretch of time for small children. This is part of the RS budget, although mothers may take turns bringing food for all children.

Assistants: May consist of sisters, YW, older Primary age children. If other than a sister, must have stake president approval.

By Alison B.

1.  Sunday Dinners-recipes and complete menus.

2.  Using natural products with which to clean-house, laundry, everything.

3.  Easy appliqué pillows for holidays or seasons. I saw a great one where
you actually take poinsettias and with a hammer smash the dye in to fabric. Wonder if it would really work-think it was Southern Living magazine.

4.  Making scruffy candles as well as some for preparedness. Also the little stoves out of #10 cans.

5.  Teachings from the Book of Mormon-Building the home into a fortress for my family & how to “liken” the scriptures to myself.

6.  Sunday boxes for children with an item a month.

7.  Learning how to make homemade pastas-with and without a machine.

8.  Weights for women.

9.  How to memorize scriptures.

10. The Amazing bean-recipes.

11. Sunday Worship-spending the say with the Savior.

12. One-Minute spiritual Strengtheners.

13. Learning about my gifts of the Spirit.

14. Landscaping on a budget.

15. How to build your own paths and walkways.

16. Texturing your walls.

17. Making homemade soap-bath, facial, laundry, cleaning.

18. Creative writing for scrapbooking.

19. A Month of meals and a cookbook-seasonally?

20. Great Ideas for keeping in touch with tiny grandchildren.

21. Learning to crochet/knit/sewing w/ ribbon.

22. Getting started in home schooling.

23. Making your own family calendar.

24. Become computer literate.

25. Learning to make silhouettes.

26. Perennial bulb gardening.

27. Basic electrical repairs without blowing yourself up!

28. How to bolster your child’s self-esteem.

29. Furniture restoration and refinishing.

30. Ceramic LDS figures.

31. Sew your own shorts and T-shirts.

32. Cooking without power.

33. Dehydration.

34. There’s a cow in the kitchen-using dry milk.

35. Improving individual and family prayer.

36. Making a garden trough.

37. How to live w/ your husband and like him.

38. Introduction to German/Spanish/French/Hebrew/Latin/Greek.

39. Using the different grains.

40. Christ-centered Christmas decorating.

41. Some 3 month classes on sewing, gardening, a great wooden painted craft.

42. Making a will or trust.

43. Patchwork by hand.

44. Beginning needlepoint.

45. Watercolor for beginners.

46. Propagation of plants.

47. Strawberries in a barrel/or just growing strawberries.

48. Compost.

49. Achieving balance in our lives.

50. How to improve your journal-writing.

51. Hooking a rug.
I have no small children at home anymore so my needs are different from say, my daughter who is at home with 2 tiny daughters all day.

In our ward, we keep track of things that come out of Enrichment meetings (Things like good stories, quotes from leaders and lessons, recipes, and patterns for things we made over the year, handouts etc. I keep them all on a disc and by December we have a good collection of hints, ideas, and stories for the sisters to enjoy. In December we make a booklet for the sisters. We entitled it “From the Kitchens and Hearts of the Enrichment Committee” They loved it and are looking forward to the one for this year.

LA from LA

We are going to have a lesson about the gifts we can give the Savior in the Relief Society room and at that time we will hand out slips of paper for the sisters to write their gift on.

We will then go to the Primary room which will be decorated with a large manger. Each sister will be asked to remove their shoes and given a shawl to wear to set the mood for the evening. As they enter the Primary room they will be given a bundle of raffia to place in the manger and there will be a gift box for them to put their anonymous gift to the Savior.

The food we will be serving will be foods that the Savior would have eaten while He was on the earth. It will be placed on small tables throughout the room so the sisters can eat while they watch the presentation.

1. The Cradle Story
2. A song Breath of Heaven
3. A song The Inn Keeper - Let Him in
4. More music I was not His Father - He was Mine

There will be a different area of the room lit while each presentation is being made.

After this we will pass the gift box around and each sister will read a gift to the Savior that was written.

As the sisters leave we will give them a white stocking to hang on their tree to put their present to the Savior for 2005. We may make them mantle size.

About the food, we have thought of grape juice to drink, figs, dates, some kind of bread and honey, but what else.

-Jeannie Weber

We are having a FHE idea that is in the Dec. 2004 Ensign. “Five True Gifts” Based on an article on page 65.

We will then watch an old church film called “Christmas Snows, Christmas Winds. ” It really gets you in the mood for Christmas and brings back memories of childhoods past. Plus teaches a good lesson.

As sister is going to teach us how to make beautiful bows.

Our dinner will be Hawaiian Haystacks, Cottage Cheese and Lime Jell-O Salad, Croissants.

-Carol in NC

We have the best ward in the Church! Seriously, though, a couple of years ago we started having a Christmas “Service Round Robin”, where each sister bring a gifts of her time (such as a card specifying dinner, a FHE treat, snowplowing a driveway, etc.) or something she made (such as a knitted scarf). All of the gifts go under a tree.
We give each sister a number, then the sister with the number 1 picks a gift from under the tree, opens it, and then puts it on the table. After that, that gift is up for grabs by any of the sisters whose numbers follow. After the gift has been taken three times, it can’t be “stolen” again!. This has been such a success.
Everyone remembers what they received each year, we laugh until we cry at all of the “taking”, and the really amazing part is the realization of all of the talent that exists in the ward! It really gives us an appreciation for our sisters, not to mention an opportunity for true service to one another. Nobody wants to do anything else for our December Enrichment Night now!

Contributed by: Karen Lane

We had a really great Christmas HFPE! we did a ornament exchange. Then had
classes….

#1 Holiday Planning. Our RS Pres is a great Holiday Planner, she has a full 8 week plan of things she has to do, when she needs to do them. It was great!

#2 Easy Ornaments to make with your kids! We had someone demonstrate some great ornaments to make with your kids, stained glass ornaments using Jolly Ranchers, Macaroni Angels, Foamie Ornaments, Ornaments using OJ lids etc…

#3 Keeping our Family Centered on Christ at Christmas

It turned out really well! Everyone seemed to love the classes! If I had to do it again, I would do it in a Round Robin Style so everyone could go to all classes!

Contributed by: Sherri in TX

We went Christmas Caroling to the less active Sisters in our Ward, and had made a very cute clay pot Nativity that we gave to each of the Sisters that we Caroled to. The clay pots were very easy to make.

-Carolin Catling

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JUNK at HOME
(tune “Love At Home”)
There are knick-knacks all around when there’s
Junk at home.  Many things that can’t be found
When there’s junk at home.  Drawers and closets
will not close, there are runs in all my hose.
Certain items decompose, in the junk at home

Junk at home, junk at home
Many items decompose
In the junk at home.

In the cottage there’s no room, cause there’s
Junk at home.  Living space is all consumed,
With the junk at home.  In the garage the car
Won’t go, `cause of all the overflow.  Oh it’s
Hard for me to throw away the junk at home.

Junk at home, junk at home
Oh it’s hard for me to throw
Away the junk at home

Kindly will the family be, when no junk’s at
Home.  When the floor they’ll finally see,
Cause no junks at home.  From the neighbors
You won’t hide, you will welcome them inside.
And you’ll finally say with pride…there’s
No junk at home

De-junked home, de-junked home.
You can finally say with pride
THERE’S NO JUNK AT HOME

I wish I knew who to give credit to for these words but I have no
idea who wrote them.

- Shirley in Utah

Enrichment Classes

We had this for our January Meeting. We did a round robin format and the sisters loved it because they didn’t have to choose which class to attend.

Mini-classes:

How to start exercising without getting burned out.
Money Management
Low fat cooking
Time management, taught by a mother of seven boys!

Marie - on the HFPE Board

Other Topic Ideas include:

Money Management
Vacations/Recreation on a budget
Provident Living

Marie- on the HFPE board

Class-”Reality Check”-Taught by Joan Barr

-assisting the class- 9 sisters (this class covered all areas that we connect with resolutions-weight, reading scriptures, being prepared, prayer, family home evening for one or many, introduction of “Thoughtful Thoughts Board”,

Lesson-Priorities

Children’s Class-Oil in our Lamps

*Theme: The Comfort Zone book

An entire evening based on this book.

Contributed by: Alison B.

*Theme: Managing Your Life

Mini-classes:

Time Management
Organizing Your Home
Organizing Your Day
Quick, Easy Dinners

Theme: Rest & Relaxation

Mini-classes:

Massage Techniques
Make Time For Personal Time
Keeping A Journal Can Reduce Stress

Miscellaneous Class Ideas:

*Sewing Your Own T-shirts
*Balance Your Life

Please Share Your Ideas!

By Joan Barr

Jan. Lunch-bunch-potato bar at church.

Jan. Rubberstamp class, Valentine cards

Feb. Rubberstamp class, Easter cards

March Rubber stamp class-Holiday cards for elderly (service project-also Christmas Angel cards for Camden wards

March Spring/summer wreath

April Crepes 101

April Rubberstamp class-Mother’s Day Card

May Advent Calendar (Christmas)

May rubberstamp class-Father’s Day

June canning

June Rubberstamp class-Birthday

July Canning

July Rubberstamp class-Thank you cards

August Canning

August Rubberstamp class-General

September Winter/Fall wreath

September Rubberstamp class-Halloween card

October Gifts in a Jar

October Rubberstamp class-Thanksgiving card

November Christmas Book

November Rubberstamp class-Christmas Cards

By Joan Barr

• Comfort Caps for children and women with cancer.
• Pillows and tote bag for those that have breast cancer.
• Throat covers for people with cancer, stomas.
• Tie quilts for children sick in hospitals.
• Hats and scarves for homeless, “project hope”.
• Toys for the police Department to comfort children.
• Socks for the homeless/gloves and mittens for homeless.
• Sacks for Santa, in Camden, 50 sack containing toys hats etc. for children in need.
• Families in need in our ward, Christmas.
• Cards for elderly and angel cards for Camden ward/branches for Christmas. This is an on going project Sister Share. Different sisters from a different ward/branch receives these cards each year.

By Joan Barr

July-Topic: Christmas in July

Each person can pick two to three classes to do. They can do classes at their leisure whenever they are done.

Classes-Ice Candle-Wood project-scented oils in deco bottle, rubber stamping cards etc., cards for service project, cookie exchange, etc.

Lesson-Patience

Children’s Class-I Will Remember Jesus

August-Topic: Personal and family development and education

• Class-Learn how to make gift baskets
• Class-Investing and Financial Assistance-
• Class-Parenting skills for all ages-care givers

Lesson-Tithes and offerings-

Children’s Class-I Can Be Reverent

September-Friendship and family ties

• Pamper yourself night, music and relaxing atmosphere
• Class-Healthy eating
• Class-Foot Therapy
• Class-Facials, make-overs, manicures

Lesson-Continuing to Learn-

Children’s Class-How Do You Feel?

October-Self Reliance

Preparedness Night

Cultural Hall event-Different booths for the following

• First Aid Kit in Film Canister
• 72 hour packs (YW to show and explain what you need)
• How to make Buddy Burners-
• Waterproof matches
• Tying knots, first-aid, compass reading-Boy Scouts
• Purifying Water-
• Emergency car kits-

More ideas flowing for this event-plenty of handouts
Some of them are on hands projects.

Lesson-Individual and family prayer

Children’s Class-Prayer

November-Service

Dinner-Italian

• Reader’s play-Women in the Scriptures
• Collection of several service projects we have going on.

Lesson-The Worth of a soul

Children’s Class-I will Remember Jesus

December

• Story Behind the Hymns
• Scrapbook-pictures into album of years events RS
• Breakfast Treats-Sticky buns and pancake toppings

Lesson-Christmas

Childcare Class-Christmas