Michael's Prayer
"Three year old Michael was getting ready for bed when he announced to his father, 'I don't want to say my prayers tonight.' His father did not scold him or shame him or try to force him to say his prayer. Neither did he let Michael get into bed without praying. [Although he was young, Michael needed to learn to be responsible in saying his prayers.] He gently lifted him to his lap and said, 'Michael, I would like to tell you why I say my prayers.' He then told of the blessings for which he wanted to thank our Heavenly Father and of the good feeling he had when he asked Heavenly Father to watch over him. Soon Michael was naming his own blessings. After a while he jumped down from his father's lap, saying, 'Now I want to say my prayer.' " (Family Home Evening Manual: Love Makes Our House a Home [197475], p. 215.)
Although Michael was young, his parents knew he had to learn that there are certain things we do, not just because our parents want us to, but because we want to. His father taught him responsibility and integrity in a gentle way. While Michael learned that there are things we should not avoid doing, just because we don't want to do them at the moment, he also learned that it was still his choice to say his prayers or not.Part of the teaching of responsibility to children includes teaching them to accept the results of their choices. For example, Heavenly Father lets us experience the consequences of our choices. As parents, we should apply the same principles to our children.
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