Spirituality and faith are an important part of anyone’s life, and for a Christian, it’s probably important for you that your children know God and have faith throughout their lives.
However, religion can be a tricky subject when it comes to children. You might not know how to introduce the subject or at what age to talk about it, and you might even worry that your kids will turn against religion.
The way you approach religion with your kids at a young age will play a huge role in how they experience Christianity (or any other faith) throughout their lives. Here are a few tips to guide you through talking to your kids about God.
Tell Stories
There are different ways you could approach Bible stories with your kids. From reading the Bible before bed, to simply telling stories as they come up, to having a dedicated Bible study time, this is all up to you.
Regardless of how you choose to do this, be sure to teach your kids stories of God and His miracles from early on in their lives. This will help them become familiar with the idea of God and what he has done.
Make Reading Fun
Of course, many kids resent reading in general and might be even less interested in a Bible story than they would be in an adventure tale. This is why you need to make this reading time as fun for them as possible, and not make it feel like a chore or punishment.
Invest in a Bible with fun illustrations, or perhaps a comic book Bible for older kids. These will keep them interested and perhaps encourage them to spend some time reading or looking at pictures on their own too.
Pray Together
Spend more time together as a family, and instil the habit of prayer. Pray before meals to thank God for your delicious food, pray before bed to thank God for the day and all it brought, and pray in the mornings to ask God to be with your family throughout the day ahead.
Making prayer a habitual and normal thing to do each day will teach your kids to rely on God for what they need and to thank him for the blessings in their lives.
Lead By Example
Monkey see monkey do – this is how most kids operate. Little ones often idolise their parents and will want to do what you do, and act as you act.
If they see you making time for God, praying, reading your Bible and relying on your faith as they grow up, they will learn from you and be inclined to do as you do.
Answer Questions Truthfully
When you introduce your kids to God, they will probably have a lot of questions. There’s nothing wrong with needing help answering your kids’ questions. You could turn to your pastor or even online sources to find the right way to talk about certain topics.
What matters is that you always answer them truthfully, even if that means saying “I don’t know”.
