Photo by Rene Bernal on Unsplash

The world benefits from good kids, and one way to raise these is by bringing children close to religion. Faith births compassion, kindness, and love – ingredients for good-natured children.

Parents have a massive responsibility to uphold over their children’s lives. From their education to the routines they practice and habits they develop, parents control which direction they take and fall into. They have the authority to guide their children toward the right path, especially when they have yet to mature and develop a grasp of the world to maneuver around it.

Associating children with seeds is no foreign matter. They must be cared for and showered with love and attention to grow and thrive properly. But what parents often fail to recognize is that the world is filled with weeds, opportunities that tempt their children to fall astray, pulling them away from the right connections and significant relationships. And what’s worse is most of these situations occur when children are away from their parents’ reach.

There’s only so much guidance parents can provide. They can only be beside their children for so long to physically pull them away from negative influence. Hence, it’s crucial that this kindness and decisions come naturally within, fostered deep into their conscience and essence.

What’s So Crucial About Kindness in Children?

In Teresa Haven Pelinski’s Rockabye Jesus, readers are presented with the value of kindness when taught and practiced by children. Although it’s primarily a story of Jesus healing the sick, the book also tackles how the world blooms when it’s run by kindness and love. Rockabye Jesus is a testament to children’s crucial role in maintaining and nurturing peace in the world. After all, they are the new seeds, the bearer of hope and change. If society desires change, children can lead it toward this.

But with the prevalence of temptations and the wrong peers, how can parents enforce kindness within their children without the constant need to physically veer them away from bad influence?

The answer is simple: parents can bring their children close to religion.

This way, they instill moral values, wisdom, and traits needed to form genuine connections and relationships deep within children’s minds and lives. Religion helps remind them of the importance of choosing what’s right and considering other’s comfort. Drawing children close to religion can impact not only themselves but also the light they nurture within, which will reflect and influence those around them. If parents seek ways to ensure their children grow up kinder and decent adults, it’s never too late to consider religion and faith as answers.

What Can Parents Do to Bring Their Children Close to Religion?

Childhood is the period when children want excitement. It’s what makes up most of their days, what They’ll become too stubborn to open themselves to anything that doesn’t catch their interest. And regardless of how essential religion is, it’s considered tedious from a child’s perspective.

This is where the problem lies concerning bringing children close to religion. How can parents encourage them to be Christ-centered without compromising the gravity and earnest nature of faith?

Reading God’s Word Together

Who says religion can’t be a means for families to bond together?

Children will appreciate faith more if it makes them feel closer to the people they treasure and love the most. Reading the scriptures together will not only bring children close to religion but also families’ bonds closer together. This doesn’t even have to include the Biblical text, which can be overwhelming for children (and even some adults.) Families can choose more straightforward religious materials – children’s books for children are perfect – as long as these contain the essence of God’s words.

They don’t even have to read full-blown verses together and pages after pages of scriptures. Even a single verse every morning can already bridge relationships closer.

Acting Out Biblical Stories

Children want to be entertained, and the Bible is filled with valuable and entertaining stories. The only problem is when they open the book, they’re overwhelmed with words and the lack of imagery to hold their attention. Fortunately, with their families’ help, these paragraphs can become an enjoyable and amusing play.

Although this activity takes effort and time from everyone, its result will surely bring children close to religion. The scriptures are made easier to consume and understand by transforming text into a pleasing play or any visual presentation. Children then process the lessons and values weaved into these tales faster as they focus and pay more attention to the stories.

Starting Religious Traditions Together

Religion can be accepted faster if associated with happy memories and experiences. If children don’t think of the hour-long worship and the dragging sermons from their perspectives, they can look at religion from a more appreciative lens. These traditions don’t even have to be grand. They don’t have to be something that would require effort to achieve. Instead, they can be as simple as spending meals together after mass or baking together after praying.

These traditions must be spent with the whole family to impact children the most. With these, they’ll associate religion with their happiness, bringing them closer to religion and God.

Teresa Haven Pelinski is a Christian children's book author known for her works that convey spiritual themes and messages aimed at young readers. Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on August 23, 1960, Pelinski's writing often reflects her faith and inspires children through engaging narratives that highlight the presence of Jesus in their lives. Her notable books include "Rockabye Jesus," which tells the story of Jesus watching over children as they play, emphasizing safety and care, and "Rain from Heaven," which invites readers to explore the magic of rainy days.
Teresa Pelinski

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