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I will start LHFHG this fall and have received all my goodies in the mail. I'm trying to think about our schedule for the fall. I would really like to target school getting done from 9:15am - 11:45am. If not, we can do more during afternoon naps (from 1pm - 3pm). I've been trying to read as much as I can about everyone's schedules but specifically I am interested in the content of your morning devotion. I was thinking I wanted everyone up (7:30am), fed, chores and dressed before we do a morning devotion time together (to be completed by 8:30am).

What portions of LHFHG do you use for your morning devotion? Or do you use a separate devotion? It looks like I could just use the "Bible Study" box, but there are some days where that is reading the devotions book (and we could look up the verses listed), and some days there is no reading (just memory verse practice). Then sometimes the key idea ties in so tightly with the Reading about History that I feel like I need to read that with it. I love that everything ties so nicely together, so how do I break off a chunk to use for morning devotion? If most have found success with using a separate devotion, suggestions for devotional books would be great!

Thanks for your help!

I haven't done LHFHG, but am currently finishing up my year with LHTH with my 5 year old and 3 year old. Actually right now we're on "summer break" but we have been reading through the children's Bible new testament and doing the memory verses that we missed out on last year.

I am planning to use the Bible reading and memory as our devotion for the day in LHFHG too (haven't gotten my books yet though, just now ordering them). Maybe on the days where it's just memory review have the kids share, or I will share a story about what they are thinking about the verse or I can share how someone could apply that verse to their life. I don't know exactly, but I plan to just use the HOD materials for my devotion. If you really feel you have to have a separate thing called "devotion" maybe make it based on the scripture(s) or stories that are part of that day's lessons.

I do all the things in the HOD guides with my kids as we're doing school. (And we LOVE the amount of Bible content that is there! It's not just in the Bible box but saturated.) Our family does have a family devotion time, as my husband has a desire to do that with the kids. When we only had Grant and he was young, we read through story Bibles. Now that he's older, our favorites have been Our 24 Family Ways and the book we're currently using, Parenting With Scripture. I don't know that the last one is really designed to be a family devotional, but it's full of topics and then it gives Scripture that addresses those things. So, my husband is using it as a springboard to look up some of the different verses on the topic and talk about them with the kids. It has MANY things...like Cheerfulness, Anger, Friendship, Obedience, Complaining... I know that it's probably meant more for you as a parent to use as a reference for when you're seeing character issues in your kids so you can point them to God's Word and see what He has to say about how they're acting. But it's working well to use as a family at breakfast, too.

One other idea I had after doing Bigger Hearts with Grant, was to sing with the kids during our devotion time. In Bigger, you learn hymns. Grant loved singing them (and the little ones - then 3 and 1 joined in, too. ). Anyway, at that time I was putting together the music for church, so I occasionally sang the songs we were going to use in the worship time Sunday with them, and then they could participate better in church because they were familiar with the words and tune of the songs. I've been thinking that I should see if I can get the lists for the Sundays I'm not the pianist (as I'm not choosing the music right now) so that we can sing during the week again. Just another idea...

You'll have a great time with LHFHG with your boys! We're thoroughly enjoying it here (and are eager to do the second half when we start up again.
Kathleen

I smiled to myself as I read your post as I have had the same questions in the past. I always want our family to start the day with a time of worship. How we've done it has changed over the years as the ages (and number) of children has changed. When we started with LHFHG I used the Bible story and song as part of our "worship time". That worked great for that season. This past year we simply read through The Family Time Bible (the one we originally used with LHFHG) and I took the opportunity to teach my children lots of hymns and choruses. We would usually do it right after breakfast. I would read while they were eating and then sing when they were finished. In our family I've had to make a point of showing my children that singing and Bible study are not just part of school time but a daily discipline and joy. (I think it's a fantastic "problem" that my children think that the Bible is NORMAL in school thanks to HOD!)
So I guess my "two cents" would be to find something that you can do simply, consistently and passionately everyday.
Praying that God would lead you to just the right fit for your family.