Ever since Nicholas turned 12, I have been having a hard time with him going to Young Men activities. I think because it started out that the only thing they were doing was planning, and decorating and then having a Halloween dance that he isn’t old enough for. Well, in our stake they have made their own handbook and it is allowed for 12 years old to go, but we are sticking with the official church guidelines, thanks. Can you say apostasy? So anyway, I only took him to the first activity where they were planning the dance, and didn’t take him to the others. It was a total waste of time.
And then they announced that they were having a joint activity with the Young Women, where they were going to sleep over at the YM President’s house and read/listen to the Book of Mormon straight through for the whole weekend. Start on Friday evening, and go through until Sunday morning, where they would be given the opportunity to bear their testimonies. Chris and I really went back and forth on this. But Chris pointed out to me that I had to make the decision mentally; either he was going to participate in all YM activities (well except for the dances) , or he wasn’t going at all. We couldn’t pick and choose.
So I bit the bullet and sent him off to the activity. I was super positive to his face, naturally, and allayed all his concerns as best I could, completely covering up the fact that they were mine as well. We did send his cell phone with him and told him that if he got way too uncomfortable, or whatever, that he was free to call us. But it ended up that we called him instead! Just to check on him, see how he was doing. You know, helicopter parent stuff. 😉 But I swear, it was just two phone calls, hours apart!
Knowing Nick and how he gets without enough sleep, we both decided to go pick him up a bit early, Saturday night. They had stayed up very late Friday night, gotten up early Saturday, and were planning on staying up until very early Sunday morning in order to finish the whole book. But Nick just doesn’t get a bit sleepy and cranky, he can get kind of violent of he doesn’t have enough sleep. And we didn’t know how that would go over in a house full of non-family. We just thought it would be best for all if he came home and went to bed. They made it almost all the way through Alma by the time we got him. I was very impressed.
And the Sacrament meeting the next day was so good! They all bore their testimonies and the Spirit was so strong. Lots of tears shed, and not just by me. Nicholas own thoughts on the activity? “Everyone was really nice.” “The food was really good.” “I liked reading it all at once like that. It helped the stories make more sense. And you could get a real sense of the timeline.”
So, yeah, glad I overcame my whacked out protective instincts and sent him. He loved it! Thanks to all the leaders who made it possible, and sacrificed their weekend to supervise it all. Oh, and I don’t think I made it very clear. The girls slept at the YW President’s house, the boys at the YM President’s house. They aren’t THAT free thinking yet. 🙂