General Conference Report

It's either really funny or really sad that I have had this draft half done since last April and am now realizing I better add the pictures and post it before the next General Conference comes and goes!

A few days before General Conference this time around I happened to stumble across this article where the lady talked about her paradigm shift regarding General Conference. Basically, she realized that since the talks are published in multiple formats after Conference, she can always read, listen to, or watch them later. But she only has that one weekend to build bonds of love and testimony with her children. So instead of shushing them the whole time or getting frustrated when they didn't sit still and eagerly do every Conference activity she'd prepared in just the way she'd envisioned, she decided to do more smiling, snuggling, playing, and enjoying with them. I took that to heart. And...it turned out to by our favorite General Conference experience as a family to date!

Yes, I still prepared coloring pages, match the speaker with the picture, conference journal activities, etc. But I didn't stress if they didn't do those activities.

I also prepared some non-conference related crafts, and also puzzles, train tracks building, etc. Quinn and I had so much fun just spending the time doing those things with the kids while Conference played and we all listened, but without shushing kids and getting frustrated. Heck, they're only 4, 2, and 1 years old! (Um...now 5, 3, and 18 months -- things change when you wait six months to publish a blog post!)

I want my kids to associate General Conference and hearing the voices of our prophet and apostles with feelings of love, kindness, happiness, and goodness. Because, really, those are the feelings that come from the Savior so if you think about it, it's ridiculous to create feelings of stress and anger over something that's supposed to be leading your family closer to Him. Right? Anyway, I was grateful to have seen the article and loved our stress-free General Conference!

We ended General Conference with a picnic dinner at the park and talked about the things that had stood out to us from Conference (Ok, well, Quinn and I talked and the kids responded to our questions with one- or two-word answers. We're in the tradition-establishing stage right now and hoping that the traditions will flourish a little as our kids get older.)

p.s. Sadly, I've turned into a bit of a city slicker. It grossed me out to think of eating on the grass where people let their dogs do their business. So instead we spread our blanket on the cement!