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Basic Etiquette Rules for Every Family Member

2012
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Purpose: It is important to teach and practice basic manners (etiquette) to show respect and kindness to one another.

Lesson:

Etiquette differs from various regions of the United States as well as different parts of the world– each culture has it’s own acceptable forms of etiquette or mannerisms that they follow to show respect.

In Japan, they bow to greet one another, where in the U.S., we shake hands. In Kenya, you have to ask to take pictures of people; however, in other countries you can snap photos and videos of complete strangers.

Here are some basic etiquette rules for you to discuss and follow as a family:

1. Be On Time: It is impolite to keep others waiting. If you have a tendency to be late, try setting your clocks 10-15 minutes fast to be on time.

2. Hold the Door for Women: It is polite to hold the door open for women and is even more polite when you can get to the door faster to make sure you are there before the woman to be able to open it up for her. The same type of rule applies to seats– always give up your seat to a lady, pregnant woman or the elderly.

3. Cell Phone Etiquette: Be sure to not be on a phone call when checking out at the store, in the drive-thru of a restaurant and talking while in the restroom stall. Also make sure your volume is turned to appropriate levels or off in respected areas such as libraries, concerts, movies and so forth.

4. Chewing. Be sure you don’t chew gum or food with your mouth open. It’s also impolite to chew with food in your mouth and be sure to dispose of gum in a trash can and not on the ground.

 

Discussion:

- What are some other rules you can follow for etiquette?

- Why is important to have manners?

 

Activity:

Before dinner, go over the rules to properly setting the table and practice good table manners.

 

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Secret Server

2012
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Purpose: To gain a testimony of the importance of serving, especially serving without seeking praise or recognition.
Materials:
Picture: Jesus Washing Apostles’ Feet
Clip art for the stories
1 copy of the Service Chart per person
several “You have been Served” calling cards per person

Lesson:
Attention getter:
As you are about to begin the lesson, drop a box of crayons or your papers on the ground with an exclamation such as “Oh no!” or “Oops!”. Wait and see if anyone offers to help you pick them up. If no one does, go ahead and ask for help.
Thank those who helped and explain that Heavenly Father wants us to help one another. This is called service. We can show we love our Heavenly Father by serving his children.

Display the quote on service:

“The Lord answers the prayers of the needy by prompting others to righteous deeds: God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” -Spencer W. Kimball

Show the picture of Jesus washing apostles’ feet.

Jesus set the example for us when he, the greatest of all, served his disciples by washing their feet.

Summarize the story.
John 13:4-5, 12-15

Story:

Helping Mom (for very young children)

 

Discuss the story emphasizing that the service was given in secret. * If you have a personal experience in which someone served you anonymously or you helped someone else anonymously, this would be the perfect time to share it. Testify of the importance of serving others and the blessings that come from it.

Activity/Weekly Challenge:

Secret Server Week

You are going to be a SECRET SERVER for the week. Draw family members’ names out of a hat so that everyone has someone else’s name. Don’t tell anyone whose name you have (parents will help the very young ones). Each day of the week you will perform at least one secret act of service for your Receiver. You may leave a “You Have Been Served” calling card with your Receiver’s name on it (this helps the Receiver recognize that an act of service was done in their behalf). For each day you do a special, secret act of service, you will color in a heart on the Service Chart. Have fun and shhhhhhhh Don’t give yourself away!

Dessert: Zucchini Cobbler

*ideas of small acts of secret service that can be done at home
make the bed for your receiver
set his/her place at the breakfast table
draw or color a picture
leave a favorite treat on his/her pillow
put toothpaste on his/her toothbrush
do one of his/her chores
make a favorite meal or dessert with mom or dad’s help
straighten up his/her closet
decorate his/her bedroom
leave a surprise note or treat in a lunchbox

 

Filed Under: Couples, Families, Families With Children, FHE Lessons for All, Newlyweds, Service Project Ideas, Service Projects, Single Groups, Tweens & Teens

How to Prepare for College: Tips and Ideas

2012
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FHE Theme: This FHE lesson is for those families who have children preparing for college entrance. I am going to share some tips that I learned from my own college experience and from working for a university for over 6 years.

Lesson: Here are some tips on making the transition to college a little smoother for everyone involved as well as some other great information I’ve learned along the way.

Tips:

1. Attend a campus tour and also attend all the orientations you can! You will want to get the best feel for campus as you can as you make your decision. Going on a campus tour may be the deciding factor in chosing which school you’re going to attend. Make sure you attend orientations. Though it may seem “nerdy”, it’s even more nerdy when you can’t find your way around campus or to your classes.

2. Find & apply for housing a year in advance or as early as you possibly can. I was the first to attend college in my family. My mother drove me 4 hours two weeks before I was to start my college experience and neither one of us thought that housing would be an issue. It was. There was none. So, we made the long trip back home and I was now going to be a semester behind.

3. Get acquainted with all the main offices, such as financial aid, registrar’s and cashiers. Also learn what each of them have available to students such as appeals, withdrawals, grade changes, deadlines, etc. All the stuff that you may need at some point. I didn’t know you could withdraw from courses and during one of my semesters, I went through a horrific ordeal that left me unable to finish the semester. Those F’s on my transcript have never been erased and taint my otherwise perfect college transcripts. It’s also a constant reminder of that semester. Don’t let that happen to you. Life happens and schools can help you out with that.

4. Read and know your course syllabus’, requirements and due dates. I would recommend reading your syllabus or assignment requirement sheet weekly and prior to starting new assignments, papers or projects. You want to make sure you do all that the instructor asks of you. Plus, this is great training for the work force when you can pay attention to details and deliever the correct product.

5. Focus on great grades for all the right reasons, but don’t be OCD about it. Of course, most employers don’t ask for a copy of your college transcripts to check out your grades. However, having great grades helps you in multiple ways; scholarships, graduating with honors (both look great on resumes) and plus, the better you know the information, the more success you’ll have in your profession. Afterall, you are PAYING for this education… get all that you can out of it. Which leads me to this remark– READ ALL YOUR TEXTBOOKS. Even if it isn’t assigned, it doesn’t hurt to have as much knowledge as possible. However, don’t be OCD about it. I was. Sometimes focusing more on getting straight A’s and forgetting to enjoy the classes I was taking. Don’t do that. You’ll have regrets like me.

6. Get involved. Whatever you like to do, there’s a club, group or organization on campus just for you. It’s a perfect way to make new friends, build your character and adds to your whole college experience. Don’t forget to attend the sports games– even if the teams are horrible. :) Some of my fondest memories from college are the times when I was involved on campus with this or that.

7. Work on campus. There are countless student jobs available on the majority of college campus’. It’s a great way to work around your school schedule, plus you may even find a job that allows you to work along side your mentors/professors which will help provide great references for graduate schools or employers in your field.

Last little tips: Learn to cook, clean, do laundry, iron, sew a button and all of that prior to leaving home. All those chores you *had* to do throughout your life have been stepping stones to helping you become a capable, productive young adult.


Activity: College Trivia
According to the schools your child(ren) are interested in attending, prepare some trivia facts about them to see how much they really know about the places they want to go to school. Ideas for trivia topics are: what year was it established? how many students attend the school? what is their mascot? and so on.

It would be a great way to involve the entire family on this new experience as one family member transitions from home and off to college.

Treat:


(click on the link above to take you to the recipe)

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 pound cakes
2 1/2 cups chocolate frosting
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white frosting
12 to 15 glazed chocolate doughnut holes
Confectioners’ sugar
Red and orange decorators’ gel
Red, orange, and yellow fruit leather
Scissors

Step 1 - Campfire Cake1. With a knife, shave the square edges off the cakes to give them a log shape. Next, mix 1/4 cup of chocolate frosting into 1 cup of white to make a light tan. Place one log on a platter (a dab of frosting on the bottom will help hold it in place). Frost it with the chocolate and tan frostings as shown. To create bark and tree rings, scrape the tines of a fork across the chocolate frosting, then scratch a spiral into each tan end.

2. Pour the doughnut holes into a bowl and sprinkle them with confectioners’ sugar. Arrange 10 doughnut-hole embers in a single layer next to the frosted log, sticking them in place with frosting.

3. For the branch stub, cut a 1-inch slice from one end of the second log and trim it into a 2-inch circle; set the piece aside. Frost the bottom of the log and set it in place as shown. Use frosting to stick the stub to the second log. Create bark and rings again.

Step 4 - Campfire Cake4. For flames, take a piece of fruit leather and, with the backing still in place, lightly wet half (lengthwise) of the fruit side with water. Fold it in half lengthwise and press to seal. Cut out flame shapes with scissors as shown, then remove the backing.

Step 5 - Campfire Cake5. Slice 2 doughnut holes in half. Put a dollop of the remaining white frosting onto the cut surface, then set a flame on top. Squeeze decorators’ gel over the decorated doughnut holes, then set them on the platter. Use any remaining doughnut holes to fill in the gaps between the logs. Decorate them with more flames and gel, if desired.

Recipe from: FamilyFun.com
Filed Under: Families With Children, Lessons, Tweens & Teens

New Year Individual and Family Goals

2012
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Purpose: Setting goals and establishing resolutions is the number one way people begin the New Year. The most important aspect is to plan according to what you really want to accomplish in realistic time frames. You can plan for one long-term goal(s), something to focus on throughout the year and you can also do smaller, short-term goals to work on for a few months at a time, or even shorter. The most important aspect is “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

This lesson is to help jump-start individuals and families to set goals to for the New Year.

Lesson:

Goals have multiple layers: first, you create a visual in your mind of the goal(s) you would like to accomplish. Once you have in mind what you want to do, you’ve already accomplished half your goal.

1. Visualize yourself at the end point of reaching that goal.

Create a detailed plan to reach that goal. Will this be reached in 3, 6, 9 or 12 months? When will you have accountability on how you’re doing on reaching these goals? How often will you have this accountability? You can invite family and/or friends to help keep you focused on the goal(s) that you create.

What type of goals are you wanting to create for the upcoming year?

Career (do you want to achieve a promotion, finish an important project, increase sales, etc), Financial (pay off one credit card, two credit cards, all debt, pay off car, learn how to coupon and use them weekly, etc), Education (go back to school- finish your degree or begin a degree program, learn a new language, take a community class, etc.), Family (plan a vacation and set a budget, create a budget for your family, etc), Volunteer Service (make goals to volunteer monthly or do toy/food drives, make 24 Hr. Survival Kits, etc.), Physical (make goals to work out, lose weight, run a race, etc.), Personal Enrichment (learn to play a musical instrument, paint, cut hair, etc.).

2. Write it down.

Keeping a written log, journal or even create a blog to keep a daily or weekly record of your experience working towards your goals. Blogging can be a powerful way to keep yourself accountable and to engage others which will help you stay focused.

3. Create the plan.

Use budget sheets, goal sheets, calendars and whatever other materials you can find to get a detailed break down of your goal.

Set SMART Goals (from mindtools.com):

  • S – Specific (or Significant).
  • M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
  • A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
  • R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
  • T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

Discussion:

1. Is goal setting important? Why or why not?

2. How can setting goals help you discover new things about yourself and help you live your best life?

Activity:

 FREE Budget Tracking Sheets & other Financial Worksheets

FREE Blog Access (create a free blog to journal your progress in reaching your goals)

Why Set Goals? article

Treat:

Hot Chocolate & Marshmellows and No Bake Cookies

Hershey’s No Bake Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 3 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 Directions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.
Filed Under: Activities, Couples, Couples, Families, Families With Children, FHE Lessons for All, Latter-day Saints, Newlyweds, Newlyweds, Single Groups, Tweens & Teens