They say if a parent doesn't teach his child, someone else will. Wouldn't you rather, even at the risk of indoctrination, teach your child your own and other religious convictions than have them learn different ones by someone else? Eventually we all reach an age when we are accountable for our own beliefs, but teaching your child basic religious principles from infancy is a wonderful way to get a head start.
Having your children grow up with faith is something too important to ignore. A life without faith could be detrimental to their development. According to an extensive survey by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life almost one in four Americans today is unaffiliated with any particular religion.
It's important to reconnect — or connect at all — with a sense of faith.
According to the article, Teaching Spirituality to Kids on Parenting.com "children who develop a sense of a loving God, higher power or a guiding force are 80 percent less likely to suffer major depression and 50 percent less likely to suffer from substance abuse as teens." It's obvious that a belief and faith in such changes the outcome of a person's life.
We talked to Scott W. Ventrella, author of Me Inc.: How to Master the Business of Being You, and radio show host. Ventrella's nationally syndicated radio show, "The Business of Living" focuses on managing the most important aspects of life, including religion and spirituality. He provided the following guidelines for parents looking for ways to introduce religion to their children:
- All religions contain certain rituals, traditions, practices and beliefs that are mostly unique to a particular faith system. Be sure your child understands what these are. This can be accomplished through formal religious education or simply visit different places of worship and speak to spiritual leaders.
- Follow your particular religion's practices.
- Act consistently with your belief system; don't become a "do as I say, not as I do" parent.
- Share your own faith journey.
- Teach your child about other faith systems and the importance of respecting other religions.
- Help your child understand the importance of practicing their faith 24/7/365; not just on occasion.
- Show your child that in addition to formal religion, they can find God anywhere, not only just in a congregation, church or synagogue. In everyday life, they need to feel that they are never alone, that faith is also experienced outside of a building, in nature, in other people, in reflection, gratitude and prayer.
- Designate time for quiet reflection, gratitude and prayer; together as a family.
- Take time to answer any questions your children might have and avoid being judgmental if they don't understand or completely agree with you. Keep this up beginning in the early years right up through adolescence. At a certain point a child will make up her own mind about God, faith, religion, etc. Once she's arrived at this point, respect whatever decision she might have made. As parents, we have to learn to let go, taking comfort in the fact that we've done all we could in providing the proper foundation.
Even though we love Ventrella's advice, we believe the very best way to teach our children about religion is by following our own personal faith, acting as a positive role model and celebrating life by being tolerant.
More on teaching your children about religion
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How to give kids a spiritual foundation
Teaching kids tolerance and diversity