How do you approach vocations with your children?

[Teakafrog]

Just wondered how everyone else is dealing with this. Our oldest went to a vocation day at parochial school a few weeks ago, but I think we were more excited about it than him . I guess he is only 10 .

 

[Em_in_FL]

Well my boys are still young (my oldest is 4)… but we have mentioned vocations in passing discussions about “when you grow up you can be a daddy too!.. or you can be a priest and work at church!”…
To which his immediate answer is “No… I think I want to be a daddy… just like my daddy!”

I don’t want to pressure them in any way… just let them know the door is open either way!.. so it’s not really “active”… but it doesn’t go unmentioned.

 

[catholicmessage]

I guess I am not really qualified to answer this, since I have no children, but I responded “actively encourage vocations” because that is how I plan to address the subject with my future children. I wouldn’t go so far as to pressure them into it, but I feel like many parents don’t present the option to their children as good and acceptable.

 

[Teakafrog]

I wouldn’t go so far as to pressure them into it, but I feel like many parents don’t present the option to their children as good and acceptable.

Oh definitely. Didn’t want people to think we told him “Be a priest or else!” He knows I would be just as happy with lots of grandkids! But we want to make sure he knows we would be thrilled if he was Fr. Son too!

 

[Dan_Grelinger]

There needs to be an additional choice, second on the list.

“Describe positively and accurately the three vocations that God can possibly call people too, and encourage and pray with your children that they will properly discern God’s call.”

That is all we can do. God calls or he does not. What our children need to be is open to God’s will, whatever it is. Pushing them to a religious vocation when none is there could cause problems, from minor to major.

Dan

 

[maryjk]

There needs to be an additional choice, second on the list.

“Describe positively and accurately the three vocations that God can possibly call people too, and encourage and pray with your children that they will properly discern God’s call.”

That is all we can do. God calls or he does not. What our children need to be is open to God’s will, whatever it is. Pushing them to a religious vocation when none is there could cause problems, from minor to major.

Dan

I couldn’t really choose from what was there.

We talk about it, but present all the options. Now my son is 11, not really sure what he wants to do.

 

[Saoirse]

I chose not to vote as well; if/when I have children, I would, as someone else has already said, discuss all different vocations with my children, and pray with them individually and as a family about it.

They would have my love and support no matter what they discerned to be their lives’ paths. Most of all, I would want them to be happy in what they are doing, and fufilled spiritually.

love,
Saoirse

 

[susie_g]

I picked that I actively encourage them to be religious or priests, but I agree with the others that my main goal for them is that they find out God’s will and follow it either way. I tell them, “If God wants you to be a priest, and you ignore his call, you won’t be as happy. Likewise, if God is not calling you to be a priest, and you do it anyway, you won’t be as happy.” Right now, one of my sons (age 10) says he wants to be a priest. I told him that he should always be listening to God and that I would pray for him.

 

[Teakafrog]

discuss all different vocations with my children, and pray with them individually and as a family about it.

Well that sounds like encouraging to me. If you discuss all the options and pray with them, that is encouraging, as opposed to either not mentioning it or telling them to avoid becoming one or the other. I didn’t think this question would be so hard to interpret for so many people.

 

[Saoirse]

I didn’t just mean religious vocations… I would encourage my child to embrace whatever vocation they have been given from God…

love,
Saoirse

 

[Cobbfmly]

My 11 yr old daughter wants to become a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist.

 

[eliza3b]

Since my brother is a priest, my son knows that it is a wonderful vocation and if he is so called, he has a real, living role model in my brother. We don’t really talk about it, probably because we don’t really have to - it’s there!

 

[Woodstock]

My advice to parents would be

-To read the lives of religious
-To invite religious over for dinner, house blessings, etc
-To visit retired religious for fun activities
-To encourage teens and young adults to choose a religious for a spiritual director (possibly from among those religious they already have a relationship with through childhood activities)
-To bring it up casually in conversation
-To incorporate the children in supporting religious communities (raising funds, helping with physical labor, donating needed supplies, etc)
-To pray together daily, and to include a prayer for all religious