Religion and your children....

If you teach your children about your religion...


1. At what age did you start really talking about it?

2.What do they know about God?

3. Do they know prayers?

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?


THANKS

Re: Religion and your children....

Our DD is 2.5 yrs and DS just turned 4.

We have been doing family prayers at night for about a year now.

Everyone takes a turn out loud- mommy daddy, DD and DS. We tell God thank you for each other, our health, food, etc. We tell God to please take care of children who don't have food or toys. Sometimes DD gets mixed up and tell God thank you for the children who don't have food but most of the time they seem to really get it.

We are a mixed marriage- Jewish and Catholic- so far we have not been good about going regulary to church/synagogue....

But, we talk about God a lot- about how he wants us to have good hearts and be thankful for all we have and to love each other.

DS asks about God and where he lives - he knows He lives in the sky- and he made all of us- Obviously, God and Santa are on the same scale right now for him.....

Re: Religion and your children....

1. At what age did you start really talking about it?
We have always talked about our religion with the girls. We pray at meals and before bed. I guess we really started to make a point of discussing it around 2 with my older dd, and the younger one was 1 when we started our big discussions/lessons.

2.What do they know about God?
My older dd goes to a religious preschool and learns a bible lesson each day. She knows a lot! She doesn't totally "get" everything, but she can tell you a little about all of the major players!

3. Do they know prayers?
My dd has a prayer of the month for meals, so she gets to pick which one she wants to say at meals. We also lead the girls in saying nightly prayers, but my older dd (3) is starting to do that on her own with a little guidance. We are currently practicing the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed with my 3 year old, because she likes to participate in the service.

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?
We go to church each Sunday. Its the church affiliated with my dd's school. She goes to Sunday school as well. We also do a lot of activities through our church as well. We try to participate in many service activities (soup kitchen, making baskets, donations) to help instill our values.

ETA: We're Lutheran btw

Message edited 2/3/2011 12:01:20 PM.

Re: Religion and your children....

My DD is only 5 months old now so obviously she knows nothing BUT we do take her to church every sunday since she was 2 months old.

I want her to get used to being in that environment so its not foreign to her when it is time for her to go and sit quietly.

My husband and I are the same religion (Coptic Orthodox) and so of course our DD will be brought up as we were.

Once she is 5 years old she will also go to sunday school every sunday after mass.

Re: Religion and your children....

My DD is only six months old but I have been taking her to church. I have not taken her since Christmas b/c I have to go alone and its hard for me to get around with her due to the snow. Once Spring comes, we will go back.

Also, when I give her her last bottle for the night, I say her prayers for her she just stares and touches my mouth as I talk - its my favorite

Re: Religion and your children....

We take the kids to church most weeks.

They say prayers before eating at day care-it's the south and most centers are Christian based, even though hers is not associated with a church.

We don't usually say prayers before eating at home-though I would like to. But, because we never have, it seems kind of awkward and forced. We need to work on that.

ETA: we talk about God and Jesus. When she asks why the sky is blue and stuff like that we say God made it that way. We talk about how Chirstmas is Jesus' birthday. She has religious books geared toward children and we read them when she picks them out for her book before bed.

Message edited 2/3/2011 12:51:17 PM.

Re: Religion and your children....

AJ is 2

No sit down talks yet

We dont do group prayers (nighttime, grace etc)

Keep looking for a church to take her to and honestly its my own lazy fault we haven't been.


...

She watches Veggie Tales with me and we love the God is bigger than the boggie man song. So far though I don't think she really cares. I asked this question awhile back on the boards myself. God isn't something she 'gets' yet. I've tried to talk to her but its lost on her.

I intend for her to understand religion in the sense of what it is, what it gives and why people believe. I think its extremely important.

Will she follow me? I doubt it. No one follows me! I'm agnostic with a twist. I find religion to be useful but also more than just a little overbearing. I have my 'opinions'. I only made those opinions after learning as much as I could first. So I want her to have that chance. To learn, ask questions and experience several faiths equally.

That's my hope anyway.

God help me though I'm sure one day she'll say she wants to be baptized or something in one religion or another because she 'believes' but reality its more or less a learning experience and friends are into it. I know I did it with born again Christians (twice - haha). I learned later my true self and know its a hard path but one always is, isnt it?

Re: Religion and your children....

DD is only 1 but we bring her to church every Sunday. We say prayers every night and before each meal. She also has a little children's Bible that we read to her.

Re: Religion and your children....

ds is 2, he's been going to church since birth. We say prayers before bed and the few time we eat together.

Re: Religion and your children....

I reallly feel like i need to do more ..thanks for input

Re: Religion and your children....

My girls are 3 and 4 years old.

1. At what age did you start really talking about it?
from birth. Its apart of our every day life. They have been going to church since a few days old.

2.What do they know about God?
They learn a lot from Sunday school. Some days I think they know more than I do


3. Do they know prayers?
We say the say prayer every night as a family, so they know that one by heart. They also thank Jesus at every meal.

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?
We try to go every Sunday but lately it seems like something always comes up preventing us from going. They do love going and they love Sunday school.

Re: Religion and your children....

1. At what age did you start really talking about it?

We basically started from birth. Just like I read to her from birth, I talked about Jesus and God and how much He loves her and how He blessed us with her. We also read books about Jesus, the bible, etc.

2.What do they know about God?

She knows God is someone we pray to every night, someone who will always watch over her, and someone who loves her more most of all.

3. Do they know prayers?

We pray every night. But not with formal prayers, yet. I think I will be introducing the Our Father soon.

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?

We try to take her to Church every Sunday, and now that she's older, it's becoming easier. She's just a major PITA in church!

Re: Religion and your children....

1. At what age did you start really talking about it? We started at birth. He has been going to church since he was 2 weeks old. The day he was born I told him God answered my prayers.

2.What do they know about God? DS is only 1, so not much.

3. Do they know prayers? We pray every night but I am really bad about praying before dinner. I would like to add that element to our day,

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses? Yes we go every Sunday, and I am also active in the church community.

Re: Religion and your children....

1. At what age did you start really talking about it?
From very early on, it's always been a part of our life. We have taken them to Mass every Sunday and try to explain it in the simplest of terms when they have questions.

2.What do they know about God?
They are 4 and 6 now, so they have picked up a great deal. they get the concept and they understand in their own terms. Christmas was great this past year since they were celebrating Jesus's birthday.

3. Do they know prayers?
Yes. Grace before meals and a few others. But they also know prayer is just talking to God in their own way.

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?
Yes, we go to the Children's Mass every Sunday and they both attend Catholic elementary school.

Re: Religion and your children....

My husband is Jewish and I was raised lutheran but I would like my kids to know about god & all religions. As things come up, i teach them. I have brought them to a unitarian fellowship before and they know that god is accepting of all people no matter what religion they are. We read bible stories sometimes, they say bedtime prayers & they know about holidays & the meanings of them. I tell them as long as they are good people, try their best to be kind & do what they feel is the right thing in their heart- then god is inside of them :)

Re: Religion and your children....

If you teach your children about your religion...


1. At what age did you start really talking about it?

DD is only 18 months old, so she doesn't understand just yet, but we talk about it as it comes up. for example, at christmas i took her to see the nativity. i explained it as "jesus in his crib." when we were in italy this summer and in many churches, she loved the stautues and i explained who they were (i.e. mary, jesus, st. anthony, etc.)

2.What do they know about God?

Again, she is so little, but she does have a book about all the saints that she loves, so she does know Mary, Joseph and Jesus. She has a picture of a guardian angel in her room so she knows angels and points to them when she sees them in her book. Also, my mom teaches her a lot. She always points to my mom's Miraculous medal (which has the Mother of God on it) that she always wears and says "Mama"

3. Do they know prayers?

No, but we say them every night. She does know to put her hands together.

4. Are you active in taking them to church, temple or other worship houses?

Yes, but it was much easier when she wasn't climbing over everything. a few weeks ago during Communion she was down on the floor and then i realized she was hitting the guy's feet who was kneeling in front of us! we have to tag team when we bring her; it's hard, so sometimes we'll go separately and one of us will stay home with her.