Raising Kids:

Parenting Skills for the 21st Century

Faith & Spirituality

This page is written for all parents regardless of your religious upbringing or pesuasion. Most parents find that even if they have not been active in their faith as adults that when they have children, it takes on renewed importance in their lives.

The main reason is that they love their children. Despite their personal beliefs or the current state of their relationship with God, they want the best for their kids. Part of this includes giving them the opportunity to have God be a part of their lives if they so chose. Furthermore, for those parents who believe in an afterlife, they feel a responsibility to provide their children with the opportunity to enjoy all that this life and the next have to offer.

Below are some tips for those parents who want their children to have faith and spirituality be an important part of their lives.

1. Pray with your children. Bedtimes and meal times are a must. Praying at other times, for those who need prayers, for thanksgiving, for peace in the world, etc. can make a real impact on children. Although it may seem awkward at first, praying with your children will have a profound affect on them that will never be forgotten.
2. Take your children to services. If you do not attend regularly, consider going more often. At a minimum, attend important holy days and some Church functions so that your children can get a sense for the community of believers they belong to.
3. Select good God Parents. If your religion encourages God Parents, select those who will take an active role in the faith formation of your children.
4. Talk to your children about your faith. Open up to your children about what you believe. This is especially important as major life questions arise. For example, talk to them about the miracle of child birth, what it means when a loved ones die, why there is pain and suffering in the world, and about the nature of salvation.
5. Role model mercy and forgiveness. Show your children what it means to be loved unconditionally by forgiving them when they hurt you and by asking for forgiveness when you hurt them. In this way, they witness the nature of God, up close and personal in their lives.
6. Encourage religious vocations in your children. If your children feel called to learn more about their faith and consider becoming a member of the clergy, encourage them to discern whether God is truly calling them.

Even if you did not enjoy a faith-filled upbringing or have fellen away from your faith, you owe it to your children to give them the opportunity to have a close relationship with God. Find ways to deliver on the tips listed above. Start slowly and build up to full participation. Put the effort into making God a part of your home. The benefits for your children and on your family life will be tremendous. 

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