How do I introduce the faith to my child in an age appropriate way?

[mythbuster1]

Agreed, though I do recommend covering basic eschatology fairly early. I know I wouldn’t have freaked out nearly as much about death and Judgment Day had I been taught about the Resurrection of the Dead along with death instead of years later.

 

[tweedlealice]

1- you live it faithfully. 2- celebrate all holidays. 3-teach tithing by=giving allowances and have envelops for his budget. 1- envelope for tithing, marked #1. ( Mark it first) #2- savings. #3- rent. #4- utilities. #4- food.#5- clothes, etc Help him clean his room and put toys to sleep. Use a chart for stars for completed tasks. That’s how you teach tithing. Plus, teaches order…
Get Christian color books. DVD’s w bible stories. Check on CBN or TBN or FAMILY LIFE for DVD’s. Christmas is easy. Easter w torture & crucifixion is hard but settles alittle w RESSURECTION!
Joke: kids in school and asks,”Whose that guy,” pointing to crucifix. “That Jesus, He was hung on the cross.” The kid behaved well. He goes home and his Mom asked,”how was school?” and he replied,”It was OK but there’s no horsing around. They have a statute of this kid, Jesus on a cross. He must have messed up bad. I’ll be good!”
I may not have that quite right. It is cute. I never thought about anything but Jesus, pain, feeling sorry for him and loving Him.
Look up a book for COOKING FOR CATHOLIC TRADITIONS. It comes out of England. HOT CROSS BUNS, etc.
Just live it. Hope you are an at home Mom.
Side issue: if Kid gets a bad friend, just say NO! The other method is: bring kid in your home to supervise friendship. Your kid might want to sneak and play w him. You could be a good influence on bad kid! It doesn’t work out well!!
NO SLEEP OVERS! Our friends were church families BUT KIDS weren’t there yet!!!
May you love Jesus to live Jesus. May your words be blessed by the Holy Spirit to seal your teaching in your children’s hearts. Bless them w Health, Happiness and Holiness, Father, in Jesus name
Amen

 

[SusanneT]

Congratulations on your little girl ! You sound like you are doing a wonderful job !

 

[steve-b]

steve-b:

Peonies:

If you have children, how do you help them to know their faith?

My little girl is two months old and was just baptized this past Sunday. I want to do whatever I can to foster a strong faith in her and a love of God. My husband is Buddhist and is perfectly fine with her being raised Catholic, but this means that the actual teaching of the faith will fall to me. Where do I begin?

Right now, I make it a point to tell her that God loves her so much. On Mary’s birthday, we brought flowers to the little statue in our back yard. Should I already be doing more?

Any suggestions for now (while she is so little) or for when she gets a little older would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

The Baltimore Catechism is an easy way (and I stress easy) to help a child think in, and communicate the faith, by learning easy definitions of terms and realities we use all the time in conversation.

And It’s available FREE. Here

The kid is 2 months old. She’s still atleast 5-8 years away from even the simplified BC.

When it was asked

Any suggestions for now (while she is so little) or for when she gets a little older would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

Based on that context, Obviously my suggestion was meant for the mom in preparation for when the time comes to start instruction for her child.

Maybe before posting you ought to read what you are responding to

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

steve-b:

Peonies:

If you have children, how do you help them to know their faith?

My little girl is two months old and was just baptized this past Sunday. I want to do whatever I can to foster a strong faith in her and a love of God. My husband is Buddhist and is perfectly fine with her being raised Catholic, but this means that the actual teaching of the faith will fall to me. Where do I begin?

Right now, I make it a point to tell her that God loves her so much. On Mary’s birthday, we brought flowers to the little statue in our back yard. Should I already be doing more?

Any suggestions for now (while she is so little) or for when she gets a little older would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

The Baltimore Catechism is an easy way (and I stress easy) to help a child think in, and communicate the faith, by learning easy definitions of terms and realities we use all the time in conversation.

And It’s available FREE. Here

The kid is 2 months old. She’s still atleast 5-8 years away from even the simplified BC.

When it was asked

Any suggestions for now (while she is so little) or for when she gets a little older would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

Based on that context, Obviously my suggestion was meant for the mom in preparation for when the time comes to start instruction for her child.

Maybe before posting you ought to read what you are responding to

A little older to me means a little older. Not half a decade. That would be quite a bit older.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

I’d think making sure your faith is represented in your home would be a really good thing to do for her. Also, learn the liturgical year so that you can incorporate it into your home. There are lots of websites with great ideas. I good one is Catholic All Year.

Also, if you need help bring the liturgical year into your home, this is a great book to look into. I’ve been incorporating its ideas into my home for the past couple months. I recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Oratory-Beginners-Guide-Praying/dp/1622821769/ref=nodl_

 

[ewohdrol]

Wait to get to know her.

My two boys are very different. One loves listening to stories of the saints, saying meaningful prayers, reading the bible and discussing anything spiritual.

The other not at all. He much prefers to say an Our Father and Hail Mary and is not particularly interested in saying heartfelt prayers. Won’t watch Vegge tales or read bible stories.

I respect both boys preferences to their spirituality and let them be the guide. If they show an interest I fully immerse them. When they are not showing too much of a passion I simply lead by example but still expect a minimim imput (Sunday mass, dinner prayers).

My parents drummed daily rosaries and angelus into us from babies. To this day I still cannot pray either without shuddering. So I don’t.

OP the fact you are already thinking about this suggests you will do a wonderful job. At this stage some simple prayers will be sufficient.

 

[tweedlealice]

My tweet, covers living your faith, as an adult. So when children come, it’s all second nature w Holiday Traditions. Keeping an orderly home starts now but in 6 mo. Picking up toys will happen. I threw in the no sleep overs. Keep bad kids away for child rearing, so she’s prepared I trusted to much. Anyway, I gave you all I could give you. Age application, as child grows.
Mine wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t smooth. They are all old & good ppl.
God bless all families. Help us have wisdom on how to guide our children to Holiness and life. In Jesus name
Amen

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Wait to get to know her.

My two boys are very different. One loves listening to stories of the saints, saying meaningful prayers, reading the bible and discussing anything spiritual.

The other not at all. He much prefers to say an Our Father and Hail Mary and is not particularly interested in saying heartfelt prayers. Won’t watch Vegge tales or read bible stories.

I respect both boys preferences to their spirituality and let them be the guide. If they show an interest I fully immerse them. When they are not showing too much of a passion I simply lead by example but still expect a minimim imput (Sunday mass, dinner prayers).

THIS!

Buy things for your child no more than about 6-12 months out. Like this poster, I have a kid who doesn’t watch TV. AT ALL. Wasting money on videos would have been terrible.

It really doesn’t matter how great the resource is. If your kid hates it, it’s wrong for them. Nothing, not even Baltimore Catechism, is good for every child. The money envelope method is a bit tired. The church has begun to recognize that tithing isn’t 10% but time, talent and treasure according to one’s ability. Giving a child $10 and telling them they have to give $1 basically absolves the personal responsibility of thoughtful giving

When it comes to kids older than 5, it really does depend on what kind of child they are. I have nieces whose mind is a steel trap. No amount of “bad influence” will change her. I have a niece who is so go-along-to-get-along that she lacks all common sense.

 

[TheLittleLady]

There is a very sweet, simple book called “I Went To Mass, What Did I See?” that is a lovely read-aloud book.

https://www.amazon.com/Went-Mass-Wh...-1&keywords=I+went+to+mass+and+what+did+I+see

 

[HeDa]

A child needs to see and hear his/her parents pray. A mother´s voice is the most beautiful sound to a new born baby as they have already heard her voice for several months while in the tummy.

 

[ProudPapa1988]

My friend you must look into Montessori education. They have education beginning at birth and going through middle school. Maria Montessori’s methods for education had become the foundation and norms for Catholic education up until the schools “secularized” in that they changed their form to model the state institution. Montessori education is all about self discovery. I have a one year old daughter and a two year old son who is about to begin pre-k at a nearby Montessori school. Just be careful that it’s legit. There are tons of montessori schools out there but not all of them are approved/legit. It’s the type of education that if you want it to be beneficial you have to go all in, not parts here and there.

To get to your direct question, most Montessori schools have abandoned their Catholic program which the foundress Maria Montessori said was the foundation. Catholic Montessori education has programs called “Atriums”. Calling them environments would be better, I think. Basically you set up your living room, kids bedroom, spare room, wherever suitable to teach different things. Make sure everything is at their level and accessible. Just an example. A wooden ship toy (similar to the Ark) in a visible spot that they will notice as they explore about the house. When you notice them go over to it to engage it, you can then give a presentation where you use the toy(s)/materials to teach the lesson in a way that engages a child’s intellect.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Thank you for This recommendation. I’ve been looking for a good resource to help my 4 year olds better understand the mass. I’ll have to go over and see if my local Catholic store has it.

 

[steve-b]

A little older to me means a little older. Not half a decade. That would be quite a bit older.

As a father and grandfather, I took my children to mass from infants. They lived the faith from the beginning of their lives.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

A little older to me means a little older. Not half a decade. That would be quite a bit older.

As a father and grandfather, I took my children to mass from infants. They lived the faith from the beginning of their lives.

Which has to do with recommending grade school curriculum how? Bringing an infant to church is age-appropriate. Buying curriculum for them for 5-10 years in the future is not.

 

[steve-b]

steve-b:

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

A little older to me means a little older. Not half a decade. That would be quite a bit older.

As a father and grandfather, I took my children to mass from infants. They lived the faith from the beginning of their lives.

Which has to do with recommending grade school curriculum how? Bringing an infant to church is age-appropriate. Buying curriculum for them for 5-10 years in the future is not.

A parent who is well formed is always ready to teach and answer questions and set the stage.

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

steve-b:

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

A little older to me means a little older. Not half a decade. That would be quite a bit older.

As a father and grandfather, I took my children to mass from infants. They lived the faith from the beginning of their lives.

Which has to do with recommending grade school curriculum how? Bringing an infant to church is age-appropriate. Buying curriculum for them for 5-10 years in the future is not.

A parent who is well formed is always ready to teach and answer questions and set the stage.

Incorrect, a parent who is well formed is a parent who is able to know where to access the knowledge and how to access the knowledge in a form in which their child will readily understand. It dosn’t matter how great the information is, if that child dosn’t understand it then it’s no good.

At 2 months, the OP has no idea what kind of things will work for her child. The idea of one-size-fits-all everyone must know BC, etc, is incredibly backward.

 

[steve-b]

Incorrect, a parent who is well formed is a parent who is able to know where to access the knowledge and how to access the knowledge in a form in which their child will readily understand. It dosn’t matter how great the information is, if that child dosn’t understand it then it’s no good.

At 2 months, the OP has no idea what kind of things will work for her child. The idea of one-size-fits-all everyone must know BC, etc, is incredibly backward.

And a 2 month old baby will understand the books you posted?

 

[Xanthippe_Voorhees]

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

Incorrect, a parent who is well formed is a parent who is able to know where to access the knowledge and how to access the knowledge in a form in which their child will readily understand. It dosn’t matter how great the information is, if that child dosn’t understand it then it’s no good.

At 2 months, the OP has no idea what kind of things will work for her child. The idea of one-size-fits-all everyone must know BC, etc, is incredibly backward.

And a 2 month old baby will understand the books you posted?

The prayer book is a good basic one that can be enjoyed by 6-12 months as well as the Bible. So less than 4 months from now, not 6-12 years. The prayer book really acts as more of a kid-safe way to learn prayers.

The last, with the mirror, can distract a 2mo in the very near future. I would say that the best target range is probably 4-18mo or so. We’re talking weeks until appropriate.

So yeah, its WAY more reasonable.

Not to mention for the most part board books are a fairly safe bet for little ones. Especially the last book. Even if you have a kid who won’t bother with books almost all children are attracted to mirrors. (the exception are severely autistic and blind children) Curricula is a completely different beast.

 

[steve-b]

steve-b:

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

Incorrect, a parent who is well formed is a parent who is able to know where to access the knowledge and how to access the knowledge in a form in which their child will readily understand. It dosn’t matter how great the information is, if that child dosn’t understand it then it’s no good.

At 2 months, the OP has no idea what kind of things will work for her child. The idea of one-size-fits-all everyone must know BC, etc, is incredibly backward.

And a 2 month old baby will understand the books you posted?

The prayer book is a good basic one that can be enjoyed by 6-12 months as well as the Bible. So less than 4 months from now, not 6-12 years. The prayer book really acts as more of a kid-safe way to learn prayers.

The last, with the mirror, can distract a 2mo in the very near future. I would say that the best target range is probably 4-18mo or so. We’re talking weeks until appropriate.

So yeah, its WAY more reasonable.

Your books have to be read to the child. The child won’t be able to read for years. And until they learn the language they will be brought up in, The pictures have to be described over time so the child knows even what the pictures mean in the language the child has to learn. Therefore I can say the same thing about the Baltimore Catechism as a resource for the child to learn from. The parents will do that education over time…

Xanthippe_Voorhees:

Not to mention for the most part board books are a fairly safe bet for little ones. Especially the last book. Even if you have a kid who won’t bother with books almost all children are attracted to mirrors. (the exception are severely autistic and blind children) Curricula is a completely different beast.

One of my parents is still alive. I asked mom what resources she used to teach us the faith before we got to Catholic school. She said one of those resources was the Baltimore catechism.

That said

The OP made the following request and history (all emphasis mine)

“My little girl is two months old and was just baptized this past Sunday. I want to do whatever I can to foster a strong faith in her and a love of God. My husband is Buddhist and is perfectly fine with her being raised Catholic, but this means that the actual teaching of the faith will fall to me. Where do I begin?
Right now, I make it a point to tell her that God loves her so much. On Mary’s birthday, we brought flowers to the little statue in our back yard. Should I already be doing more?"
Any suggestions for now (while she is so little) or for when she gets a little older would be very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.”

So I gave a suggestion based on that. At 2mos her child is already being introduced to a big subject

The OP didn’t criticize the suggestion I gave. .