I had a great idea given to me the other day by my Mom (gotta love Moms always giving you advice no matter how old you are) about making the scriptures more interesting when reading with your kids.

I have been reading the scriptures to my kids forever. The cartoon ones, and they love it and cant wait for singing time to start after we read, but sometimes during the scripture reading they get bored, and its because they do not understand what is going on or happening.

Here is the solution:

I don’t know how many may have access to the living scriptures cartoons on DVD or video, but when you are reading the scriptures they make a great visual that comes to life what you are reading on paper. It gets them more interested into what is going on, and it may help them even like scripture related shows on the TV more. I know with all the cool cartoons (and CG) out these days its hard to get them interested in an animated series about scripture characters. So just read the chapter out of the book, and then find the video that goes along with it and then watch it. Its that simple and you will be amazed at just how much more the kids get out of scripture time. I know it will make scripture time longer, but just make sure you plan ahead and I promise you it will be worth it!

You will be surprised just how much putting the scriptures that you read along side the videos that go with them helps your kids understand, and get more into what you are reading. I have been doing it for a few months now, and it is amazing to see how into the scriptures my kids are.

Thanks Mom for the tip!

I am not a perfect parent by any means, I will be the first person to admit that.  I struggle from day to day to make sure my kids are doing everything they should including eating the right things, not watching to much TV, or playing to many video games and so on.  The one thing I have made sure my kids have always done every single night is reading the scriptures.

I find that the cartoon ones work really well.  You can explain them to your kids (because of the pictures) in a way that you couldn’t with normal scriptures, and it captivates them.  At first I was wondering if the kids were even paying attention, but as time goes on I find they get into the stories, and when we ask them what happened the night before, they tell us and are excited about whats going to happen tonight!

I have been blogging a lot lately about the power of example, and that is the main reason you need to be having daily scripture study with your kids.  How do you expect them to read like they should in college when they go, or be prepared for their mission.  Remember the standards are much higher nowadays, then they were when I went on a mission.  I am sad to say that I never read the Book Of Mormon from front to back before my mission.  I read it in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) and that really helped, but I wonder how much quicker my strong testimony would have came if I had it when I was 12 or 13 having read the BOM 4 or 5 times (probably) by then (at the pace I am going with my kids).

You need to make daily scripture study fun.  My kids look forward to their day of saying prayers, as well as picking a song each to sing.  You can set certain personal goals with your kids, and reward them with a CTR ring if you read it all in a certain time etc.  This is a normal tradition in our house, and its now a habit because we just do it no matter what, and the kids know that and look forward to it.  Now maybe I can start figuring out a way to get us all to kneel when we pray no matter how tired we are.  One thing at a time!