A behind-the-scenes look at Family Home Evening "Hough-style"

So we gathered our kids for family home evening tonight like we always do on Mondays. I think it took about fifteen minutes just to get everyone in the same room. Another five minutes for everyone to be quiet enough for Jared to welcome us. And yet another five minutes for everyone to stop talking or fighting over who is going to pray and finally another three minutes for everyone to get ready for the prayer.

In the Hough household, the family home evening treat is not tied to cleaning your plate at dinner time. It is tied to one's behavior during our family night. If a family member is respectful and sits quietly in their seat during the course of family home evening (bonus for us if they actually participate appropriately), they will earn a treat. We also count to three to give warnings. Once you're at "three" you've lost your treat and have to start earning it back. And for good measure, Calvin's assigned seat is the rocking chair. He has to be in it at all times. Every time he gets down, we count.

Since we are trying to make our home a missionary training center, we have selected monthly themes for the nine months of the school year to help focus our time together in preparing our children to be missionaries. January was "work." February is "financial preparedness."
We had a really great forty minute discussion with the kids about the importance of managing your money and distinguishing between a NEED vs. a WANT. Even Karcyn and Calvin were offering great insights.

However, JJ was pretty ornery tonight. In fact, he was in time out twice. Near the end of the lesson, he climbed up on the curved arm of the chaise couch and was balancing on it...then jumping onto the couch just barely missing Karcyn who was sitting there.

I kept an eye on JJ as he balanced. I wasn't too worried about him. He was doing pretty good, not that I could do anything if he fell from where I was sitting. (At least the floor is carpeted). He got up on the arm a third or fourth time and I saw him start to lean backwards ever so slightly. Jake and Cooper were laughing about something then Jake darted to the couch at lightning speed and planted himself behind JJ. He was still laughing and being goofy. I knew exactly what he was doing. He was spotting JJ in case he fell because it looked like he was going to, but JJ corrected it on his own. Jared didn't get that impression. He stopped the discussion and said for the first time during this family night, pointing at his oldest, with half-joking exasperation, "Jake! You're on 1!"

Jake's jaw dropped with a "what did I do?" look and Jared gave him the "Yeah, I'm the parent" look. I leaned over and said, "He was running to spot JJ. It looked like he was going to fall." Jared peered at me and then Jake. "Really, he wasn't playing around," I added.

Jared weighed my words carefully. "Hmmm, it looked like he was trying to knock him over." (Jake had thrown a pillow at the couch by Karcyn the very first time JJ balanced on the arm with the intent to just put the pillow back, but his aim was a smidge off and the pillow almost knocked JJ over. Jared and I both shot our heads at Jake simultaneously and said he was really lucky he "missed" his brother.)

Jared conceded and said Jake was no longer on "one." I smiled and assured Jared of Jake's intentions--who wasn't really concerned about it. Then Jake said, "Yeah, Dad, sheesh" and pointing his finger accusingly, he declared, "You're on one!" We all busted up at the timing of his comment--even Jared laughed and he took it in stride while we all continued to laugh some more. Then Jared put the palm of his hands together, tucking them between his shoulder and tilted head indicating the sign for "sleep." Once Jake was paying attention Jared quietly told his oldest to "sleep well tonight, Son" as they continued the banter.

Jake and Cooper laughed more at the ominous fatherly threat. Cooper told Jake, "Dude, you can sleep on the top bunk tonight."

Jake wisely responded with, "Thanks, but that won't save me." Jared smiled and raised his eyebrows in agreement.

When I gave the closing prayer, I may or may not have prayed that we all have a safe night....
especially Jake...

Before our treat, Jake did offer Jared a hug for a truce. Jared smiled a big, impish grin and held out his arms wide and said, "Ohh-kaaay, Son. Come hither." When Jake got the courage to finally do it, trying not to laugh his silly head off, Jared squeezed him super tight and picked Jake up off the floor a few times telling him how great a son Jake is and how much Jared loves him. Jake said, "That's nice, Dad. I just wanted to sleep undisturbed tonight."