Religion can be a touchy topic for a lot of people. This is especially so when it comes to teaching it to children. Studies show that a lot of millennial parents are raising their children without religion. That can be a worrying trend for those who want a more religious upbringing for their children. But it doesn’t mean that you have to give up. It is still possible to raise your child religiously nowadays.
Here are some tips on making it work for you:
Recognize Its Not Wrong
One of the first things you have to realize is that not wrong to raise your child in your religion. Some people experience that nagging feeling, especially when they see all the negative press and popular culture scorning it. But being faithful is not wrong. It can provide people with a moral compass and certainty. Don’t let anyone shame you into doing something that you feel is right.
On your house and land property, you should be able to do what you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone. Teaching the faith to your child is your right and you should do it as part of your faith.
Make It Fun
The popular image of religious instruction is that it is boring and irritating. This does not need to be the case. When you’re starting, teaching religion should be all about the stories. Like the simple stories that have moral lessons, this can be a great way to introduce the basics to children. Children can be curious in the beginning and meeting this curiosity can be a big help.
There are also religious ceremonies. It can be boring for children when they are young. You need to make them more enjoyable by explaining the ideas behind them and talking about the stories behind them. A lot of religious traditions have a good story behind them. For example, the story of Christ’s birth can be a great explanation for all the ceremonies around Christmas.
Choose The Right Education Model
One factor that you have to keep in mind is that educating your child in your religion will need to be part of their schooling. If you want to send them to a school, you need to be sure that they are learning the right lessons. For that to happen, you’ll have to choose a way to educate them in the faith. Fortunately, there are religious schools that can have religious instruction as part of their curriculum. You might also consider homeschooling if there are no other options available.
Be a Model
When you are hoping to teach your child about your religion, you need to act as an example. Many children follow how their parents act unconsciously. If you want them to be more aware of their religion, then you have to show them how to act. This can be as simple as praying before meals or avoiding alcohol. Your children will pick up on these habits and follow them out of habit.
Study on Your Own
If possible, you should be doing your studying. Teaching your faith to a child requires that you know more about it than they do. This can be difficult since it will make you do some soul-searching. But you must know more about your religion. Don’t just study the main texts. Many religious thinkers throughout the years have written about religion.
Find the ones that are best regarded in your faith and read them. This will allow you to better understand your religion and might even make your faith even stronger. This is important if you want to ensure that you can teach your child properly.
Talk to Them About It
Besides the basics of instruction, you should also take the time to discuss things with your children about their faith. They will have all the questions of childhood and you should be able to answer them. A talk with them can also be very enlightening. When they ask you about what they are curious about, it can open up discussions about your faith that can make it stronger. For example, all religions have an answer for why bad things happen. Talking about it with your child can be revealing and give you a better view of your faith.
Religion has a bad reputation in some parts of the modern world. But it is possible to give your children a happy childhood while also teaching them good values. The tips above should help a lot in making the task a lot easier.
