Opening Prayer
First: the children must guess what the subject of the class is (say the missing letters).
_ _ A _ _ _ _ _ N _ _ E _ A _ _ _ _ (Charity in the Family)
Second: ask children what is charity (write their answers on the board). The spiritist teacher should add any necessary comments to the concept of charity until the children understand that charity is patience, love, good attitudes, forgiveness, tolerance, good will towards others (Benevolence for every one, indulgence for the imperfections of others, forgiveness of injuries)
Third: ask what family is (write the answers in the board). Family is a group of people who gather together to grow and learn. Let’s remember that Jesus also had a family: father, mother and siblings.
* Families where both parents work outside the home
* Families where only the mother or father work outside the home
* Families with father, mother, children, grandparents or uncles
* Families where the father, mother, children or grandparents disincarnated
* Families in which grandparents live with their children and grandchildren
* Families with adopted children or none
* Families where a son has married and lives in another house
* Families where parents are retired
* Families with different number of children (one, two, three)
* Families where the father or mother does not live with their children
* Families who have only sons or only mother/father and children
* Families where parents are separated and don’t live together anymore
* Families where the parents are divorced and remarried and have another girlfriend/boyfriend
The spiritist teacher could give his personal testimony, telling how his family is.
Example: "When I (spiritist teacher) was your age my family consisted of my father, my mother, my sister, my grandfather and grandmother. When I grew up, I got married and my family got bigger. My husband and my children also became part of it. Families are changing with time. My grandfather passed away last year and my sister got married, so my brother is part of my family today. But not all of us live in one house: I live with my husband and children. My parents live near my house, my grandmother lives alone, and my sister lives with her husband. But we all love and respect each one of us as a family. "
Encourage children to tell how is their families, but without forcing anyone to speak.
Fourth: get the children to correlate family and charity. How can we be charitable in our family? We can be by obeying, not fighting, respecting family members, doing chores at home (doing the dishes, making the bed, putting toys away ...).
Remember that our family members do make mistakes, but do right things too. They deserve our love and forgiveness. Our parents love us and want the best for us, so they tell us what is right and what is wrong as well as educate us.
Fifth: draw a picture of your family or create a picture frame in cardboard.
Click here to see picture frames from the school E. M. E. I. Leonor Mendes de Barros.
If you would like to receive any picture frame suggestions, please send us an e-mail
Closing Prayer
Suggested text:
Our family are the people who live with us: father, mother, siblings, grandparents, stepmother, and stepfather, among others.
Our family relative’s works, study, take care of the home, give us warmth and love. Each person is unique; have his/her own likes and dislikes, inner qualities and attitudes. We should love and respect people as they are. People in our family are our friends. We can talk to them when we have problems or need help.
We can cooperate in the harmony of the home by not fighting, obeying our parents, and helping with household chores.
A family is made up of unity, respect, gratitude and love.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies
