How does Hilary Erickson's method for making family home evening engaging outperform traditional techniques?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse.

I don’t actually teach a specific branded “method” for Family Home Evening the way some traditional religious programs do. Instead, I focus on family routines and practical parenting tools that make any recurring family time (like FHE, game night, or family meetings) more engaging by:

• Sharing responsibility: kids help plan, prep, and run parts of the evening, so they’re invested instead of being passive listeners
• Keeping it simple: short, predictable routines instead of long, lecture-style lessons
• Building self‑sufficiency: tying family time to real-life skills (chores, planning, communication), which feels more relevant to kids
• Adding fun: music, games, and quick, interactive activities so it doesn’t feel like “one more meeting” after a long day

Compared with more traditional, parent-led, lesson-heavy approaches, this style tends to get better buy-in because kids feel ownership and the time together is shorter, more practical, and more fun.

Can you tell me how old your kids are and what “traditional” FHE looks like in your home right now?