But one thing that I’ve tried that’s been successful at times is that I will whisper in my kids’ ears:

“Jesus loves you!”

“Jesus loves Mommy.”

“Jesus loves grandma.”

And on and on.

As I’ve said this over the years, my kids have started saying it back to me.

It always makes my heart happy to hear one of my kids say, “Jesus loves me!”

I hope they never forget that. ⁣

God and our Savior are one in purpose, and their essence is LOVE. ⁣

God will love my little kids constantly and perfectly their whole life here on earth. ⁣

God will love them when they make good decisions. ⁣

God will love them when they make very poor choices on purpose. ⁣

God will love them when they ace their high school classes. ⁣

God will love them when they fail a huge test. ⁣

God will love them when they try something new and scary. ⁣

God will love them when they waste a whole bunch of time. ⁣

God will love them when they serve in big callings with grace. ⁣

God will love them when they don’t have an important calling in a ward and feel forgotten. ⁣

God will always love them because they are His.

He is the perfect exemplar of unconditional love and His love for them will never change. ⁣

We just have to recognize that His love is there for US, even when we don’t feel like we deserve it.

Even when we feel like it is impossible.

Even when we are filled with shame and disappointment. ⁣

His love is always there. ⁣

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God is love  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Almost every time that I get really frustrated with my kids, it’s because I’m trying to do something else at the same time.

I’m trying to make dinner, but they keep needing me to open and close colored markers every single second.

I’m trying to text back a friend, but they need help getting in and out of dress up clothes.

I’m trying to read an article I saw online, but they keep getting into an argument with each other.

When I’m completely focused on being with my kids and not trying to do anything else, everything is so much better.

I’m able to be in the moment with them.

I catch and stop the arguments before they even start.

I’m happy to help them because I see the needs that they have.

Now, the conclusion isn’t to just be 100% focused on my kids’ desires constantly, because that is not realistic in life!

But I have been intentional in trying to create more moments throughout the day where I am completely focused on them.

Not trying to do something else at the same time.

No multitasking.

Just focused on them.

As we finish our three week study of the Psalms, I can’t help but notice the spiritual connection, too.

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

Praising the Lord requires putting away the to-do list.

Pushing back my mortal exhaustion and distraction.

Valuing connection over productivity.

So I’ve also been trying to make more one-on-one time with the Lord.

Completely focused on Him.

Feeling awe and reverence and respect.

Singing.

Creating.

Pondering.

With nothing else going on.

It’s difficult.

It’s not easy to choose to do something that will not get me any closer to a cleaner house, a more organized life, or a shorter to-do list.

But it’s always worth it. It’s beautiful. It’s connecting.

It’s divine to praise the Lord.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Praise over productivity first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Either parents feel the pressure to subtly act like their kid is the best in every way.

Or parents feel the pressure to nag on their kids and hate on all the bad things they do.

(This is, of course, a huge overgeneralization, but I’ve noticed that these really are the two biggest trends: brag on them or complain about them)

But… what if there was a different way?

What if there was a different way to view our kids that didn’t involve us getting prideful and jealous, or annoyed and demeaning?

What if we viewed our children as holy individuals who we need to teach, and who we expect will make plenty of mistakes along the way as they learn?

Of course, I’m not even close to the first person to suggest this.

The Lord reminded us in D&C 74:7:

“Little children are holy”.

This certainly doesn’t meant that their actions are always holy.

But it does mean that they, their souls, who they really are, are holy.

They are literally protected from Satan’s influence.

Former Primary President, Joy D. Jones, gave a powerful talk in the most recent conference about little children, and this stood out to me when she said:

“There is a uniquely special time in children’s lives when they are protected from Satan’s influence.

“It is a time when they are innocent and sin free.

“It is a sacred time for parent and child.

“Children are to be taught, by word and example, before and after they have ‘arrived unto the years of accountability before God’.”

Now, this doesn’t mean that kids younger than 8 aren’t capable of doing something that they know is wrong.

I think any parent of a 3-year-old can tell you that!

But… they aren’t held accountable for them yet.

It flips the narrative on parenting just a bit, and I love what the repercussions are.

Yes, let’s share our kids’ amazing accomplishments and vent to a friend after a super frustrating day.

But let’s also help remind each other that our children are holy.

And we have a sacred responsibility to teach them in word and in deed. Setting positive examples and treating them with love.

These kids are holy, and they deserve our best.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Holy kids first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

P.S. If you have teenagers, check out THESE TIPS – or read my entire general Survival Guide HERE!

Solidarity to all of you who have had the thought, “No more nursery?!” or “No more primary?!” cross their minds recently. 

I’m a young mom with a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old, and I also have my degree in Elementary Education. I’ve run the @comefollowmestudy social media accounts since January of 2019, and also have my own site with all of my study thoughts each week. I know a fair amount about kids’ development, how to appropriately teach at each age level, and I have a huge passion for studying the scriptures.

And still, this is no walk in the park. 

But here are some tips that I have for making your new completely home-centered Sundays run as smoothly as possible. Some of these ideas come from my own experiences, and others have been crowd-sourced from my amazing followers on Instagram. Please, if you have anything else to add, comment below on this post, or head over to @comefollowmestudy and join the conversation!

Flexible Routine, NOT Rigid Schedule

Two super important words for young kids! 

First, make a routine. I recommend creating “blocks” of time. For example, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. we are doing “arts and crafts”, even though the hour might look like coloring for 5 minutes, drawing with chalk for 20, coloring a picture for 10 again, building a temple out of blocks for 15 minutes… you get the picture. Routines help little minds know what to expect, and they also give you as the adult some structure to work with. 

And second, be flexible. If “song time” is going great and your kids are rocking out to all of the Article of Faith songs over and over, then keep it going. If next week, “song time” runs its course in 10 minutes, don’t stress. You’ll lose their attention fast if you are trying to force something that they aren’t interested in right now. 

Make it Fun!

In my undergrad classes at BYU, I was taught that during the first week of school, I needed to have my students leave my classroom thinking, “That was such a fun class!” If I could get them to leave thinking that for the first few days, then I could throw in all the hard work and rigor I wanted to later, and they would buy into it because my class was “fun”. 

So find ways to make the Sabbath fun! Sundays do not have to be boring days. You might not want your kids watching the same shows or playing the same games they do on weekdays, so what can you offer to make the day more special instead of seeming like a chore?

Some ideas to make the day fun in appropriate ways:

• Church videos on YouTube or on the Church’s website
• Listen to Primary songs
• Listen to other Church songs on YouTube by current popular artists
• Delete their normal game apps for the day so they aren’t as tempting of an option
• Pull out board games or card games that might not be used as often
• Get some outdoor activities for your backyard that you don’t usually use or have time for
• Get new church-related or uplifting books

If “fun” is a theme of the day, then it’s a lot easier to get real “learning” in!

Let Them Help Plan!

Kids LOVE getting buy-in. During the week (or even on Sunday morning), ask them what they would like to do as Sunday-appropriate activities. You might be surprised at the good ideas they come up with! If they have some ideas that you don’t want to pursue on the Sabbath, keep it positive by telling them it’s a great idea for a Wednesday, and put it on your calendar if possible. This helps keep them feeling like their contribution is meaningful! 

For super young kids, giving them two choices is a fun way to still create buy-in (“Would you like to take a walk around the neighborhood, or read a picture book?”)

Give Them Jobs!

Along with getting their buy-in in the planning phase, get their help executing the plan, too! This can look completely different based on the ages of your kids, but can be really effective in keeping them engaged. 

For the older kids, have them help plan part of an activity. They can: 

• Cut out olive trees to use for a reenactment
• Learn how to read a few verses so they can read it out loud to the family
• Color visual aids
• Think of a personal story to share
• Come up with a fun game for the family to play in the backyard

For the younger kids, give them jobs during the activity to keep their interest. They can:

• Bring you supplies when needed
• Hold visual aids or props
• Act stories out
• Dress up for a story
• Repeat simple phrases over and over

Spread it Out!

Kids are usually most attentive in the morning to mid-morning. Consider:

• Activities or lessons that require more focus earlier on in the day
• Nap time or “quiet time” in the early afternoon
• More active plans for the later afternoon
• A church or uplifting movie for the evening 

Don’t feel like you need to cram all of the day’s activities into a two-hour block, just like church. 

Take the Wins, Ignore the Losses, and Don’t Stress

A million things will go “wrong”. Because that’s what happens when you try to work with little, developing personalities and maturities. 

But Jesus loved the little children, temper tantrums and all. Reframe the Sabbath as a way to just shower your kids with love while teaching them correct principles, and you can’t go wrong. Get them in the scriptures if you can. Bear your testimony in small and simple ways. Share personal stories that they can connect with. 

Make it a process that YOU enjoy, because this is your Sabbath day, too. 

Find time to reconnect with your spouse. To dive into the scriptures by yourself. Put that oxygen mask on yourself before helping others. 

I know, easier said than done with little ones. 

But when you make Christ a priority in YOUR life, it will naturally spill over into the way you interact with and teach your kids. This was my complete motivation behind starting @comefollowmestudy and it is what keeps me going. We’ve got to fill our own buckets first and feast upon the words of Christ. 

Have any more ideas for working with young kids on the Sabbath? Drop them in the comments below or head over to Instagram and share there! We are in this together.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Young Kids Edition: Totally Home-Centered Church Survival Guide first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.