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Panel Discussion—Family Relationships

Panel Discussion—Family Relationships

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young woman helping child cook

Purpose

Positive family relationships don’t just happen. They take time and effort. Hold a panel discussion on family relationships to learn more about how you can strengthen your family.

Description

Organize a panel to talk about strengthening family relationships. Invite a variety of people to be on the panel, such as parents, youth, and leaders.

Before the activity, invite youth to write down the questions they would like the panel to discuss. For example:

  • What are some ways to show love to family members?

  • How does open, respectful communication strengthen families?

  • How can families be strengthened by overcoming adversity?

  • How does focusing on the Savior strengthen families?

  • How does forgiveness strengthen family relationships?

  • How can families deal with disagreements in a healthy way?

  • What are some activities that strengthen families?

  • How can I be a righteous influence on my family?

You might want to give the questions to panel members ahead of time so they can be prepared.

More Ideas

  • Family traditions—Invite panel members to share family traditions that have strengthened their families. Panel members could be invited to bring in an object or food that represents a family tradition.

  • Family legacy—Ask panel members to prepare ahead of time to share a story about an ancestor or other family member they admire. Have them talk about how this person’s example has strengthened their family.

  • Homefront videos—Choose several videos from the Homefront series in the LDS Media Library. Watch them together, and then discuss how the principles illustrated in the videos can strengthen families.

  • Role plays—Before the panel discussion, write down some common scenarios that might take place in a family, such as a disagreement about what to have for dinner or dealing with a scheduling conflict. After the panel discussion, divide the participants into groups and give them each a scenario. Have them role-play resolving the disagreement. Afterward, invite participants to share what they learned from role playing. For more information, see “Role Playing” in the Family Home Evening Resource Book.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why do you think it is important to strive for positive family relationships, even when it is difficult?

  • When have you had an experience strengthening family relationships?

  • What feelings or impressions do you have about strengthening family relationships?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life? What changes did you feel inspired to make based on this activity?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons

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