With so many different ages at the Seder, how do you focus on your kids?
One year we found that our Seder was full of grown-ups. I have nothing against grown-ups. Being one myself, I’ve come to terms with it. But we really wanted our Seder to be kid-centric and I was nervous they’d get lost in the shuffle. My children are certainly not the “lost in the shuffle” type, but I wanted to make sure we celebrating the wisdom of grown-ups with the beauty of youth.
Our Maggid-Chevruta study was born. Each of our five kids were paired up with a set of doting grandparents/parents/aunts and uncles/friends. Before Seder, I prepared individualized “study guides” for each group including questions and a discussion guide. In “chevruta,” or partnered learning, they each explored a different section of Maggid. For twenty minutes, my ten year old looked at the Four Sons along with his grandparents while my seven year old explored the Ten Plagues with his great aunt and uncle. For twenty minutes, my children got the undivided attention of some grown ups who committed to sharing their learning process. Each child then shared their group’s learning.
It was a beautiful and meaningful highlight of the Seder.
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