This month in Primary the sharing time theme is “I Can Repent and Be Happy.” I think that is a great theme for this month since it will be Easter as well, and it is a good time to talk about Christ’s atonement and resurrection, and what it means in relation to repentance. The song for the month is “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” You can find ideas for sharing times that can easily be adapted for family home evenings in “The Friend” or on the church’s website.
A good object lesson is to take a jar of water. Explain to your children that we are like the water. As we sin we cause the water to become dirty. (Drop some food coloring into the water.) But as we repent and apply the atonement in our lives we can become clean again. (Add some bleach to the water until it becomes clear again.) This really illustrates the point of how we truly become clean again after we repent.
The sharing time pages in “The Friend” have a cube that you can make that talks about the different steps in the repentance process. It would be good to discuss with your children these steps and how they can apply them in their lives.
As you talk about repentance to your children, please bear in mind that if a certain child is struggling that it is probably not best to hone in on that child or their behavior. You can have a nice one-on-one talk with that child afterward, but I’m sure you child will appreciate not being made the specific focus of the lesson.
Next week I am going to post some ideas about Family Home Evening ideas to teach about Easter. What ideas have you used to teach your children about repentance?