Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Teaching the Beehives

I have to teach a lesson on "Preparing to Become an Eternal Companion" to the Beehives (12 & 13 year olds) on Sunday.  So I would love any of you to share your thoughts.......Is there anything you wish you had done as a 12 year old girl to prepare you for what you are doing now??  I really would like to know!!!

16 comments:

maines said...

I gave this lesson last sunday to all the girls. I started out by passing out a piece of paper and having them all list what they want in a future husband. When they were done, the ones that wanted to shared what they wrote. It made for some interesting discussions. I was impressed by how many girls wrote that they wanted someone who would work while they stayed home with the children. I then showed them a clip from our wedding video were Cort and I discuss what we liked most about one another and what attracted us to each other. We both talked about testimony and the way we treated others, especially family. I asked them if this was something that we developed when we met eachother or if it was something we had been working on our whole lives. Obviously, the answer is our whole lives and how they could start developing those characteristics now. On the back of their paper from the beginning of the lesson, I had them start making a list of all the things they thought THEY should be for their future companion. Another thing I used was Sister Beck's talk "Woman who Know" from the last conference. Also, one of the personal progress goals (divine nature #2) goes along with this lesson and references proverbs 31:10-31, which is great for the theme of the lesson. As for the homemaking part of it, I asked them what they missed most when they were away from home on vacation or at camp or something. Some of them talked about home cooked meals and other things that are provided by mothers. I asked them what it feels like when their home is messy and how the feeling in their home might be different from the feeling in other peoples homes that they go to, especially if they are not members and how much the mothers play a role in that. One girl who is from a fairly tumultous home said how crappy (her words) her house feels when it's messy and out of order and there is never anything to eat. We talked about how she could help change that by volunteering to make dinner for her siblings and helping to keep it clean and nicer to live in. Just some ideas. I actually had way more planned than we ever got to (isn't that always the case!), but all in all it went well.

maines said...

I forgot to add one more thing (I know, how could I possibly have more to say...sorry so long). Because I am far from Susy the Homemaker, I told them that I felt that something that is more important than the waffles you can make or how well you iron is having a willing heart. We talked about what that means and how it is something that they can cultivate right now. Being someone who is always willing to learn and grow and open to new situations that may seem difficult or scary or even impossible, is one of the greatest qualities they can have as an eternal companion and mother and even right now as a young woman. If they are willing to learn than the perfect fluffy waffles and crisp shirts will eventually come! :)

i'm jefra... said...

hey! i have to teach this lesson on sunday too! thanks for asking.

Sydney said...

Great thought! Thanks

i'm jefra... said...

whatever shalaine! i look to you for all my homemaking cues.

Anne said...

Sounds like a great lesson Shalaine. One twist on the list that I have heard is after the girls make the list of what they want in a future husband, you challenge them to become that list. Thus, being able to offer all that they expect and want. Even though the Mothers That Know talk ended up being controversial, I loved it and thinks it has great content for your lesson. Julie Beck's other talk (Ensign p.109) from conference was great too and may add to your lesson

Anne said...

Two websites that I loved for YW (and many other callings) are www.sugardoodle.net and www.christysclipart.com
Maybe they'll have something for your lesson.

maines said...

So Jefra, does that mean that you had macaroni and cheese and cereal for dinner last night too?

i'm jefra... said...

Shalaine! That's creepy! How did you know? Sad thing is David made it.

H. Glauser said...

Dang, I taught that lesson a couple weeks ago too. How come you're behind us all, Syd? In mine I said everything everyone else said. Hah!
I made a blank resume titled "Resume for my future husband" and they filled it out with all their dreams for their perfect husband. Then we talked about how you attract who you are. So if you want a "caring" (or fill in the blank) husband but you are selfish, your perfect husband will be not be attracted to you? They then crossed out the resume for the perfect husband and put their own name at the top to see if they were developing or had all those qualities. Also, I told the story about Dad digging ditches for a job once and realizing that he didn't want to do manual labor and realizing that he needed to do everything he could to prepare himself to have a career as a pilot that he would love.

i'm jefra... said...

no. the real question is how come we all have the same calling??

Sydney said...

We are behind because we already had Stake Conf. and then one advantage of having all this snow is church got canceled after we just went to sac.mtg!!!! Oh yes one hour church is the BEST! So we were able to pick up any of the lessons that we missed and I had already done some work on this one way back when it was supposed to be given. David says that in the YM they don't have any kind of sched. they just look over all of the lessons and pick the one they think is best and he thinks that is how it is supposed to happen.

maines said...

I agree with David. The manual we had for last year had a lesson on personal hygene and another one on avoiding disease. The weeks I had to teach my perfecty bathed, brushed, and combed little laurels with bows in their hair and not a comunicable disease in sight were rough. I think I made up my own lesson those weeks.

Bryn said...

I remember that lesson Shalaine. Yeah that was a hard one for me too. I just go released from YW. I guess being a single mom at church each week and then having to lug my children to all the activities was not the best thing for any of us. I do miss it!

maines said...

Anne- thanks for the great websites! I got some great ideas for my lesson on sunday and some cute already made handouts- gotta love that! And just and FYI for everyone-
www.sugardoodle.net- amazing website with great ideas for all things LDS. Highly recommend.
www.sugardoodle.com- horrible website with a nauseauting amount of fluffy cats with bows. Do not recommend.

i'm jefra... said...

rofl! never been to sugardoodle.com but it seems the two could *possibly* be related....good mormon girls to tend towards fluffy cats and bows...at times.