Teaching Christianity to our children

[Danus]

Thought I start a little discussion here to all my fellow parents out there.

I have two daughters; one 9 and the other 6. Aside from church, prayer and other teaching opportunities I apply to both my kids, I am currently working with my 9 year old to sort of open up the subject of Christianity and the Christian life in general by inviting her to ask questions.

I am hoping to spend more time with her exploring the bible to help prepare her for the approaching preteen years of her life. I want our discussions to be as open as possible.

My wife and I send our children to good public schools but we fully expect them to be faced with worldly issues. Our approach is to arm our girls with the knowledge of Christ so that they may be prepared for the fallen world.

Anyone have any advice or approaches they would like to share on this subject? Any experiences out there?

Right now I am going through various Psalms and Proverbs and building discussions around them or tailoring them to specific situations.

 

[Nick]

Well I'm not a parent...am in fact turning 18 later this year, but I thought I'd just put in my two cents.

I was/are being raised in a Christian household, with my parents being open about Christianity and dedicated Christians. My siblings and I go to a public school (a pretty good one) and yes, we do face worldly hardships but I am firm in the knowledge that this has prepared me for the exposure of adult life.

Just a note to the parents - your actions often speak louder than words do. I'm sure you already know that when you swear accidently and then your 7 year old son is suddenly swearing, but it applies to the good as well! You are their role models, so make the most of it while they're young! ;) :D.

Sounds like you're taking a great approach, and good luck and God bless you!

 

[Danus]

Well I'm not a parent...am in fact turning 18 later this year, but I thought I'd just put in my two cents.

I was/are being raised in a Christian household, with my parents being open about Christianity and dedicated Christians. My siblings and I go to a public school (a pretty good one) and yes, we do face worldly hardships but I am firm in the knowledge that this has prepared me for the exposure of adult life.

Just a note to the parents - your actions often speak louder than words do. I'm sure you already know that when you swear accidently and then your 7 year old son is suddenly swearing, but it applies to the good as well! You are their role models, so make the most of it while they're young! ;) :D.

Sounds like you're taking a great approach, and good luck and God bless you!

Thanks you Nick_29. That's a great point and I think you are spot on about actions speaking louder than words.

I once had a boss that would say; "Everyone is a good example to someone. Some are good examples of how to be and some are good examples of how not to be, but we can learn from both types of people." I still chuckle when I think of that because he would always interject that when someone messed up.

In fact, part of my desire in working with my children is that I did not have the same instruction growing up. My own parents where good examples of how not to be in terms of passing on the faith. Nothing against them, I love and respect them, but I hope to do better as a result.

 

[BryanOnALaptop]

Have a good relationship with your kids to where they will tell you about what they've learned in school. I have to deprogram my duaghter from wordly public school teachings all the time.

I also started reading the "God's word for me" children bible. I thought I'd just read it, ask if she understands and that's it. But as a 7 year old, OH BOY does she have a lot of "how come" and "but why" questions. It's truly a blessed interaction with my young one.

 

[Danus]

I also started reading the "God's word for me" children bible.

Cool. Thank you Bryan. I checked that one out. Looks like a good one for my 6 year old. Seems like bibles for kids are about like buying shoes; you have to go up a size all the time, you know?

Lat night I started a discussion with my 9 year old and I was surprised to hear from her what she knew, fact wise. She's very academic and knows a ton of facts, but what she asked me when I asked her if she had any questions for me was; "Yes I have a question. Why are we here? I mean, what's the point?"...... WOW!

I told her that she is here because God wanted her to be here; to experiences life, learn about love and to choose him. I said that it was Gods plan to use me and her mother to bring her here and to take care of her in the way he would have us. More importantly, to train her up in his way for his purpose.

I left her with the thought that God had great plans in store for her and she asked if I knew what those plans where. I said; "not exactly, but he will let you know in his good time." Then the little runt asked me what Gods plans where for me. So I said, I just told you. Good night. ....to be continued I'm sure.

 

[micaela]

I'm glad you started this discussion Danus. My oldest is five and I can already see her love for Jesus. Since she was really little I have always read her bible stories out of her children's bible story book and have had conversations with her about everything from angels to loving your enemies to why Jesus died for us. Her favorite question is "Why can't we see GOD". My answer to that question is always the same. I tell her "You know how it hurts your eyes when you look at the sun because it's really bright? well God's light is way more brighter than the sun, so if we see HIM it'll hurt our eyes." That's the best I could think of She also asks why can't she hear him, I told her i'd get back to her on that one, any advice?
One thing that I have been trying to teach my little girl is how to pray. She wont say a prayer all by herself. She says she don't know what to say and I tell her just talk to Jesus. "Tell him what your thankful for and anything else you want." but she makes me say the prayer and she repeats it. I also told her that she can talk to HIM silently in her head and HE will hear her... That's that when she asked me why she can't hear HIM talk back.

 

[Danus]

One thing that I have been trying to teach my little girl is how to pray. She wont say a prayer all by herself. She says she don't know what to say and I tell her just talk to Jesus. "Tell him what your thankful for and anything else you want." but she makes me say the prayer and she repeats it. I also told her that she can talk to HIM silently in her head and HE will hear her... That's that when she asked me why she can't hear HIM talk back.

LOL (as the hip Internet crowd says)
Yes, wouldn't be great if God spoke audibly to us? I still sometimes think that, but given our track record for listening I thank God that he speaks to our hearts; that he compels us to hear his voice in a way that we have no choice but to listen, where we can finally say "OK God I get it now." Sometimes what he has to say takes time to hear I guess, and maybe it's better heard through discovery.

How do we explain that to a child? I think though, our children may be in tune to listening to their hearts more so than we are, as we get older in life.

I can recall just looking at a grasshopper with excitement and wonder when I was a kid. Now it's just a grasshopper, but I see my girls looking at flowers, and caterpillars, and grasshoppers with the same wonder I once did. They want to show me as if I've never seen such marvelous things.

I like to think that's very similar to my walk with Christ. I have the same feeling about God and what he has to teach me as that of a child discovering something new. Just as a grasshopper has nothing to say about itself, other than what we can see or feel of it. In time we learn more as we discover it time and time again. .....not sure if that makes sense. Sorry for sounding like an old Asian man in a room full of candles with that one, but I'll leave it for entertainment value.

 

[jmespinosa]

I personally home school my kids. I have 4 of them and one on the way. My oldest is 9, then 5, then 3 then 9 months and 5 months pregnant.

What I do is study the bible with my oldest. She is very very spiritually mature for her age. More than most her age or even older. She is bold in her faith and she will say in public did you pray over your food. Did you thank Jesus for the food he has given you to eat. We should all just pray together. She says stuff like that. She has already gotten her calling from God. We don't just teach her scriptures or the 10 commandments, but the principles in the bible too. I think the principles are more important and helps her remember scripture.

We don't allow her to have friends that are not Christians neither. They can be the worse influence I know from my personal experience. I think as long as you allow the holy spirit to guide you since that is what it is here for you are going to do great. I would explain to your kids just because you are taught this or that, this is what the bible says about it. So she don't get confused on why a teacher is telling her one thing and she is supposed to believe another.

We do teach what scientist believe as far as evolution vs creation and stuff like that. So she is educated on it, but can be strong in her faith to point out the flaws of the theorys.

 

[Nick]

I personally home school my kids. I have 4 of them and one on the way. My oldest is 9, then 5, then 3 then 9 months and 5 months pregnant.

What I do is study the bible with my oldest. She is very very spiritually mature for her age. More than most her age or even older. She is bold in her faith and she will say in public did you pray over your food. Did you thank Jesus for the food he has given you to eat. We should all just pray together. She says stuff like that. She has already gotten her calling from God. We don't just teach her scriptures or the 10 commandments, but the principles in the bible too. I think the principles are more important and helps her remember scripture.

We don't allow her to have friends that are not Christians neither. They can be the worse influence I know from my personal experience. I think as long as you allow the holy spirit to guide you since that is what it is here for you are going to do great. I would explain to your kids just because you are taught this or that, this is what the bible says about it. So she don't get confused on why a teacher is telling her one thing and she is supposed to believe another.

We do teach what scientist believe as far as evolution vs creation and stuff like that. So she is educated on it, but can be strong in her faith to point out the flaws of the theorys.

It sounds like you are giving your children an excellent bible/spiritual knowledge. That's great to hear!

But I think you might be going a bit far with not allowing your children to have non-Christian friends. I've got some and they're great. I think it's important to wittness Christ-like to your friends and that's extremely difficult to do if you don't have any non-Chrisitian friends.

I encourage people to be brought up in a soceity where they are safe but not really that sheltered, so they can experience diffferent ideas, ways of thinking etc so they can from an early age learn how to think critically and make up their own mind, while being taught the Christian principles at home also.

But this is my belief (which is based on the Bible). I mean no offense by this, but I"m just giving my two cents.

 

[Danus]

I have high regard for those that home school. In fact I'm a big fan of it, but my wife and I disagree.

She is pro public school and feels that our children, as well as other children, might be best served as Godly examples in a worldly setting. Honestly I have come to agree a great deal.

She won the argument by once asking me where my faith laid. That got me thinking. If my faith is with God, and I am passing that to my kids, why then would I not trust the efforts we make in teaching them Gods way and sending them out to face the world with such instruction, where it (such instruction) and them may be tested and learn even more in a practical manner. ???

I had to concede on that point. Don't get me wrong, If I thought for a moment that my child was in spiritual, mental or physical danger (maybe danger is a harsh term), I would remove them from a public setting very quickly.

We have many friends who home school, and I love and respect them dearly for their decision. They make great sacrifices for the effort, and I to mine.

 

[Nick]

She is pro public school and feels that our children, as well as other children, might be best served as Godly examples in a worldly setting. Honestly I have come to agree a great deal.

She won the argument by once asking me where my faith laid. That got me thinking. If my faith is with God, and I am passing that to my kids, why then would I not trust the efforts we make in teaching them Gods way and sending them out to face the world with such instruction, where it (such instruction) and them may be tested and learn even more in a practical manner. ???

.
Nicely put.

 

[jillian.h]

My childs still just a baby, but when she gets older i want to make sure she gets a christian school education, instead of public school. I went to a christian school from K-12 and i am truely thankful for everyone of those years.
And although i wasnt thankful at the time, i always wanted to go to a public school, looking back, i know my parents made a good decision not letting me change schools.
I think its so much harder for a child to grow up in a public school these days. Sex and drugs, and tons of stuff that you dont really find in a christian school. I just think its safer that way.
My sister convinced my mother to let her join a public school for her last year of highschool, and she made new friends that she started drinking with and almost had alcohol poisoning and could've died on halloween night, ironically the same night my baby was born. How tragic that would've been.

 

[Nick]

Interesting thing about private/christian schools, recently in Sydney (where I live) there has been countless revelations of teachers having sexual relations with their teachers (mostly abuse) and interestingly 90% + of that is done in private or Christian schools - Catholic especially. Interesting.

So they're not all that more innocent, actually. Some are, some aren't.

 

[jillian.h]

wow thats kind of insane. But now that you say that, there was a teacher from the christian school here who had an affair with another teacher...
Sure no bodys perfect... but they're not very good role models i guess

 

[jasoncran]

any man made or run instution is prone to well sin. sin in the church , sin inside marriage, sin in the goverment.

sin, shoot we better commit suicide to avoid that sin nature.

 

[jillian.h]

any man made or run instution is prone to well sin. sin in the church , sin inside marriage, sin in the goverment.

sin, shoot we better commit suicide to avoid that sin nature.

committing suicide is also a sin

 

[jasoncran]

any man made or run instution is prone to well sin. sin in the church , sin inside marriage, sin in the goverment.

sin, shoot we better commit suicide to avoid that sin nature.

committing suicide is also a sin

i was makin a point. not justifying suicide, we run from sinners so much that we cant be effective in reaching them.

 

[Danus]

I come back and you guys are talking about suicide?

OK, just wanted to give an update on my bible teaching efforts to my two girls. I have a pretty good bible for girls, an NIV version but PG rated if you will. (If that makes sense) Specifically designed for girls and I can get the title of it is anyone wants. However, I am reading this to my 9 year old. She is quite precocious; very intellectual child. I asked where she wanted to get started and she said; "from the beginning of course." So we have been doing that about once every night or so before bed. It's been great! She just listens with a wonderful peaceful look about her. However I am ready for her questions and I have been re-studying the bible before hand in great detail ready for any questions. At this age I think it's important to point out to my daughter the strength of biblical women.

I want her to see the great value of biblical women. Things like how Eve was the mother of all the people in the world. Not to lessen Adam in any way, but to help define the roles of men and women in the Bible. I joke with her saying; "you think your mom puts up with a lot, look at what women in the bible had to put up with"....she laughs, She gets it.

For my 7 year old I am reading "Bible adventures" which seems very age appropriate so far. The plan for both is to read through front to back. The 7 year old only gets 1 to 2 nights since her bible is a little faster, so I hope to get done with both at about the same time.

We had already read a light NIV toddler version to both girls when they where 3 to 5 years old each and that little book has about lost it's spine. But, one thing I've noticed about both my kids is how receptive they are to the word of GOD. I think we have this little window of innocence and this transition later to young adult where things are put to test. I am hoping to bridge that with Gods word and I would urge anyone with young kids to take up the cause as well. Additionally, I would love to hear from parents with older kids. Any stories or advise about teaching Gods word to our children?

 

[Nick]

"PG" Bible? I assume this is about song of songs? What's the normal bible rated - R?

Sorry, couldn't resist, but I haven't heard of this pg rated Bible. Is it about Song of Songs? I'd be interested to see a comparison verse between this one and the normal NIV.

 

[Danus]

"PG" Bible? I assume this is about song of songs? What's the normal bible rated - R?

Sorry, couldn't resist, but I haven't heard of this pg rated Bible. Is it about Song of Songs? I'd be interested to see a comparison verse between this one and the normal NIV.

Heck yea. The bible is R rated at best when it comes to subject matter. Try reading a regular bible word for word to a child; your child; and you will see what I mean. The Song of Solomon is hardly the riskiest area where you might have stammering conversation with a child. There are verses in the bible that could make a whore blush. There's blood, guts, debauchery and raw sex all throughout the bible, and if your going to teach it to your child there are some places where you have to use a little good judgment. A lot of Children s bibles are a little toned down, but at some point they can't be.

Spend a day or two with a 5 or 10 year old and it's easy to see how innocent they are. It's not that they should not know about certain matters related to sex or killing or evil that happens but sometimes that can be overly shocking, confusing and scary for a child. Not so much what you say as how it's said and explained.

There are some things in the bible I will not discuss with my kids right now. There are some verses I may "reword" or even skip all together, but when I do I tell them I'm doing that and I tell them why. For example, I don't have to explain the details and motives of Potiphar's Wife to tell the story of Joseph. If they want to read it and ask questions OK. As they get older I'll be happy to have any open discussions they want to have.