Well it is Lent and I/we were looking for a good book that explains Lent in "kid" terms. I want our kids to know that Lent is more than a time when Mommy gives up face book, soda, and eats fish on Friday... Jack had learned a little bit about Lent at PSR but he had lots of questions. Bethany (or Bessamee as she is really called) passed on a really neat way to explain the Lenten season that she got from our friend Sarah. And so we began the Jelly Bean Jar. The kids each earn jelly beans for various things that will make them more like Jesus (I find myself wiping out WWJD often right now;) They are both trying hard to earn Jelly Beans, but I have to say that Jack understands alot more than Liv does this year. They are both trying very hard though! By next year they will both understand! Jack loves this so much that he wanted to take his Jelly Bean Jar to school for his mystery bag day, but I didn't think a glass jar was his best choice... Here is the break down of what they earn different jelly beans for:
Red is for sacrifice (each day they give up one thing just for that day).
Green is for doing good deeds.
Yellow is for sharing God's light through kindness to others.
Orange is for attentive behavior during prayer times.
Blue is for going to bed and resting at night.
Purple is for apologizing to someone we have hurt.
Pink is for forgiving others.
White is for the Grace of Christ and they will fill up the jar on Easter, because Christ will fill where they lacked.
There is a great little prayer we say each night after we put our earned jelly beans into the jar. Each of our kids have a certain jelly bean that is harder for them to earn and each day they are trying to work harder for that one. For Jack it is the blue for sleep and Liv has trouble with earning the orange for attentiveness at prayer time. But they are trying and learning!
Thank you to Bessamee and Sarah for passing on the great activity!
If you are interested check it out at www.catholicmom.com/Lent_jelly.htm
3 comments:
We love this as well! I am sure it will be a family tradition in the years to come!!
I already posted this on Bethany's blog but I am so doing this next year!
I love this!! Will be using this as the girls get older!!
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