First Confession---BEFORE First Holy Communion or in the 4th grade?

[axolotl]

My daughter is making her First Confession this Sunday, and her First Communion April 29. This is the same order I made mine back in 1982. I didn’t find it negative at all and was quite excited about my First Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The text my daughter’s class used is “Making Things All Better”. I think it described the Sacrament as getting a big hug from Jesus.

At the parent meeting at the beginning of the school year, one of the teachers repeated an incident of one of the second graders encouraging his father to go. “Go on Daddy, don’t be scared, the priest is really nice.”

The parents and catechists are the ones who set the tone for Confession during the prep, and whether the children come away with a positive or negative “feel bad” view of the sacrament.

 

[asquared]

Bro SFO has explained so well, I will only add if a child has developmental difficulties, or autism so severe he will never be able to confess or receive communion, especially of the condition is such that life expectancy may be shortened, he should be confirmed, at least by the usual chronological age for confirmation. There is no requirement that the individual have knowledge and understanding of the effects of the sacrament, any more than there is for baptism, in such cases. the graces of Confirmation complete and perfect baptism, and should be available to all.