I meant to get something written about General Conference before now and it simply didn’t happen yesterday. I love love LOVE General Conference weekend, which happens every April and October, and is a time when our church leaders are able to share messages with the world about the Savior and other gospel topics. They are WONDERFUL, and each time I come away feeling strengthened and finding answers to personal questions I have going in to it. You can find the link to watch (live, or any time afterward) at:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts?lang=eng&video=21236952928198668460&mode=watch
The first session of Conference will be starting in 20 minutes, but since the Conference Store is all set up and the snacks are ready (and spots on the couch or chairs “claimed”), I thought I could take a minute here to get something posted.
That’s right, in my family we always do a “General Conference Store.” I came up with this idea when my children were much smaller and it has by FAR been my favorite Conference tradition. After my oldest was born I tried out different activities to help her pay attention to the speakers and be excited about Conference, but the Conference Store has been the one that has lasted. (While it was fun when she was a toddler/preschooler to have her help me cut out pictures from Church magazines of things like scriptures, the prophet, a temple, etc., and then tape them to different bowls full of Conference snacks that she could take when she heard that word mentioned, she figured out while she was still in Nursery that she should tape a picture of Jesus on to the bowl of snacks she most wanted to eat because EVERY speaker would mention Jesus at some point. I couldn’t keep those snacks stocked fast enough, ha ha!) And different activity booklets can be fun, as well as things like setting up Conference tents, or putting “Conference trains” up on the wall, etc. But no, the Conference store has been the best as my children have grown.
During sessions of General Conference my kids are able to earn “Conference dollars” by doing certain things according to their ages – very small children just needed to try to be quiet during a talk, a little bit older would draw a picture or write a word to represent what each speaker spoke about, my older kids take notes and then after each session I discuss the talks with them and they share how they felt the messages applied to them and make a goal for how they want to implement things after Conference; we also think of individual questions before Conference, and we will talk about if we were able to get our answers or not. Anyhow, exactly how kids earn those dollars is completely adaptable depending on the ages and needs of the specific children involved.
Then after each session they can go to the “store” to purchase things with their dollars. Again, what you have in your store can be completely variable. We usually have candy, small crafts, dollar store toys, etc., although the most popular items for us are the “coupons.” Sometimes those are something as simple as getting an extra story at bedtime or getting more media time, or more elaborate things like getting to have a party with friends, all the way up to the most coveted coupon of all, the Yes Day coupon. (When they redeem that one, for one whole day I have to say “yes” to whatever that child asks – with some stipulations of course about things like budget, miles I am willing to travel for an activity, requests cannot harm any person or property, etc.). It’s hilarious how much elaborate planning can go in to my kids figuring out what they want their Yes Day to look at (we specifically schedule them so that Mom can be “free” all day, and each child gets their own day).
This was a super wordy explanation, but I think you get the gist of what the General Conference store is. We have other traditions, too, like certain snacks or meals we’ll have during or around Conference, etc., but the Conference store has definitely been my favorite because I have been able to adapt it as my children grow, and it even works for the spread of ages for my children (I can predict that my youngest will want things like stickers or bubbles, while my teenagers will be more excited about things like new earbuds). I even get our grandparents involved, so there will be coupons for things like “get ice cream with Grandpa,” or “make cookies with Grandma.” It’s great.
I don’t have any pictures of recent Conference stores, but here is one from several years ago. (The coupons are taped up on that door.) Obviously, the main reason I love General Conference is the messages that are shared and the Spirit I feel and it brings in to our home. But fun traditions are great, too.
Going to sign off now because General Conference is about to begin. I’m excited!!!
