Family Scripture Study and Prayer

I think most of us agree that family scripture study and prayer are essential for various reasons. This message was powerfully spoken about in Elder David Bednar's Conference address this April entitled "Watching With All Perseverance". That's a must read.
But I have to admit that although our family has faithfully attempted to have family scripture study and prayer each day, it has been a pretty pathetic display over the last 11 years. What it usually looks like is this:
A couple of people sitting, a couple people lying down, and a couple just walking in and out of the room "to get something real quick." We're scattered. Oftentimes, it is just Steve or I actually reading the scriptures and everyone else is keeping their mind occupied on other things. Some kids are playing with toys. Some kids are sneaking a book they can't seem to put down, or the most recent National Geographic Kids magazine or something. It seems they always "need" to go to the bathroom or get a drink or they are "starving" conveniently when it's time for scripture study and prayer. It's noisy, it's not spiritual, and we as parents feel frustrated more often than not.
We've tried various things over the years to fix the problem, but it inevitably has failed. Well, recently I came up with a new idea and it's actually working! I'm pretty excited about it! So I thought I'd share it with you guys in case you might be suffering from the same problems. I know some families don't have a problem with this because they are better at getting their kids in line than us. But in case you can commiserate, here it is and it's surprisingly simple.
We discussed this idea as a family and all voted on it. The vote was unanimous and everyone seemed excited about it.

Our New Family Scripture Study and Prayer Rules.
(Almost like it's a game.)

1- When it's time for FSS&P, everyone hurries and finishes whatever they need to do. Then we all sit in a tight circle on the Living Room floor together.
3- The only thing allowed in the circle is people, and scriptures. No toys, books, magazines, or food, etc...
4- Once you are in the circle, you are there to stay. If you happen to leave the circle for any reason at all, we close up the circle and you are only permitted to go bed. (We do this right before everyone goes to bed.)
5- Nobody is forced to come to the circle or stay in the circle. But the only options are to be in the circle with the family or go to bed. If you choose to disrupt or ruin the spirit of our scripture study you are asked to leave the circle and go immediately to bed.

Those are the rules. When we get in the circle, everyone takes turns reading a couple of verses each. Then we all pray together. After prayer we sing our "We Love Our Family" song while we have our right thumbs all attached to form a circle of hands joined together. (My family and extended family know this song as it's been a tradition for 3 generations now. It's a fun song and it's impossible to not enjoy yourself and feel more love and unity in the family when you sing it.) We sing this nice and loud. A couple of times we've had a child that has had to go to bed and miss out on this. And the disappointment as they have been in their bed and listened to us all happily singing together has seemed to be enough that nobody has missed it more than once.

We have found that this works better than trying at all costs to have everyone there in our little meeting. If somebody doesn't want to be there, they seem to be able to ruin the experience for everyone else. So it seems better to have our little meeting without somebody and everyone else has felt the Spirit and enjoyed the experience who is there. The person that missed it, felt bad and wished they hadn't missed it and never messed up again. So it's been a great thing.

What do you do that works?