Times have definitely changed.\u00a0 Back in the old days, three year old girls were learning how to embroider.\u00a0 Six year olds were crocheting and mending.\u00a0 Eight year olds were taking piano lessons and sewing.\u00a0 Ten year olds were cooking, gardening and tending for the family.\u00a0 We don\u2019t do that kind of training anymore.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve noticed just how few girls play the piano anymore.\u00a0 Girl\u2019s learn how to cook only if they are in a divorced home and forced into that situation.\u00a0 No one crochets, embroiders and sews anymore.\u00a0\u00a0 However, girls often know how to dance, play sports, shop (or at least hang out), and play video games.<\/p>\n
I see a stark difference between the ages.\u00a0 Years ago, girls were prepared and taught how to serve.\u00a0 There was a conscious training in place.\u00a0 Now, parents spend huge amounts of money keeping their children entertained with no future design.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard enough beginning a marriage with love sparkling in your eyes, but to come into it without any training leads to inability to perform, cope, adapt, grow\u2026often succeed.\u00a0 How can we go backwards, in a way, and teach our girls how to prepare and fulfill the very purposes we have come here to perform?<\/p>\n
Girl\u2019s are encouraged to prioritize their education.\u00a0 But what of skills?\u00a0 With the economy, the way it\u2019s going, we will need to draw on skills again.\u00a0 Once girls are in the workforce, it\u2019s hard to give up any amount of income to have children, especially when husbands are still in school.\u00a0 Families are postponed.\u00a0 Income is really becoming a huge issue now.\u00a0 Costs are sky high and inventions offer an incredible assortment of tempting items that become must-haves.\u00a0 I believe it\u2019s all going to catch up to us some day when we are least prepared to handle it.\u00a0 But I am most concerned for the younger generations that don\u2019t stand a chance, because of their lack of knowledge and experience.<\/p>\n
I believe no generation is off the hook, here.\u00a0 The younger generation is fumbling helplessly while the older generation feels useless and unvalued.\u00a0 I really believe we need each other desperately.\u00a0 The older generation needs to teach and train.\u00a0 The younger generation needs to respect and be teachable.\u00a0 The older generation needs to accept modern equipment and the younger generation needs to accept some old ways of doing things.\u00a0 And we need to start with the Young Women, so they are trained and prepared to become wives and mothers.<\/p>\n
Here’s another dilemma that has occurred to me.\u00a0 The Young Women do quite a lot\u00a0with the Young Men program.\u00a0 So, besides having their own program and teaming with the Young Men, where is there time for the Young Women to mingle with the Relief Society?<\/p>\n
There has been a great concern in transition.\u00a0 Young Women, when they graduate from High School, want to stay in Young Women’s.\u00a0 Often because they love their YW leaders.\u00a0 In fact, it’s quite possible their testimony lies with the leader rather than the gospel.\u00a0 So, as the young girl is suddenly thrown into a room of old people, of course she’s going\u00a0to feel uncomfortable.\u00a0 Suddenly, she’s given a list of people to visit; she is scared, untrained, and likely not interested in performing.<\/p>\n
Young men don’t have this problem.\u00a0 I’ve asked my boys about this and they tell me:\u00a0\u00a0When they turn 12 they are incorporated into the entire body of the Priesthood.\u00a0 They attend the same meetings (from ward level to the general level of the church), they learn about Home Teaching at age 14, they always have Opening Exercises together where they can sit\u00a0with their dads, then go off with their leaders.\u00a0 Men do more things together and there is never a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n
Girls and women are separated at every level.\u00a0 Someone, please explain this to me!\u00a0\u00a0How can we train and influence the lives of our girls when they are following a whole different program; when\u00a0we never meet, commune, or learn with one another?\u00a0 I am convinced that if we had more influence as a Relief Society on our girls, there would never be a transition problem; girls would be more inclined to jump into Relief Society.<\/p>\n
Relief Society not only has trouble including the sisters who work in the other two auxillieries, the problem also\u00a0extends to including\u00a0women of all ages.\u00a0\u00a0A Relief Society was doing a humanitarian project and a\u00a0mother called to ask if her YW-age girls could join in and help.\u00a0 The answer was given: No, this project is\u00a0just for the older women of the ward.\u00a0 Please, say it isn’t so!!\u00a0 Why would we ever keep things separate?\u00a0 Why would we lose the opportunity to train, inspire, and reinforce good works?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Times have definitely changed.\u00a0 Back in the old days, three year old girls were learning how to embroider.\u00a0 Six year olds were crocheting and mending.\u00a0 Eight year olds were taking piano lessons and sewing.\u00a0 Ten year olds were cooking, gardening and tending for the family.\u00a0 We don\u2019t do that kind of training anymore. I\u2019ve noticed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,19],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-51","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-motherhood","category-relief-societyyoung-women","tag-yw-training"],"yoast_head":"\n