St. John Bosco housed homeless boys. Before going to bed, he gave them a “goodnight talk” right after night prayers. This drew from a event during the day and concluded with a moral lesson. It is short and entertaining – drawing from the lives of the saints or from his visions. After that, there is the “great silence” as the boys keep a prayerful ambiance of recollection.
I do the same with my kids ages 10,8,7 & 2. We say our night prayers together consisting of an Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be following by an examination of conscience then an Act of Contrition. After that, I give the talk. I used Aesop’s fables e.g. the ant and the grasshopper, Gospel stories e.g. the man who built his house on rock and the other on sand, events e.g. the dog getting groomed and then draw a simple moral lesson. This allows me to explain to the kids the rationale for my policies and help them understand our sacrifices for them. (As St. John Bosco taught, “It is not enough to love the young. They must know that they are loved.) More importantly, then learn how to put the faith into practice or live as a follower of Jesus.
By and large, this works as the kids remember the lessons, the rules and the love.
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What a great photo, Rick! Beautiful family.
Our evening is similar, minus the "goodnight talk". Our moral chats usually happen around the dinner table as we discuss various aspects of the kids' day. But I like the idea of a brief recap after prayers. I could make a mental note of something said at dinner and expound after prayers. Thanks for the idea.
St. John Bosco, pray for us!