My 4 year old has begun resisting bedtime prayers

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Holly3278

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Hey everyone. I have a 4 year old son named Colton. He has recently started resisting bedtime prayers. He tells me he doesn’t want to do them. I tell him that we have to do them and then I pray them out loud and I tell him that it’s very important to do our prayers. He will cry a little when I go against his wishes and do them anyway. I’m not sure how to handle this. Could you please give me some advice?
 
I’d say just keep patient and keep modeling. As a Catholic teacher, that’s what I’m required to do as well.
 
Maybe find a different time during the day to do the prayers. I don’t know that you should make a battle out of doing them at bedtime. Maybe he is overly tired and it just requires too much of him. I know that may sound silly to us, as adults, who may find comfort in the peace of evening prayers as we get ready to tuck ourselves in, but kids aren’t adults.

You don’t want him to learn to hate prayers or prayer time. Meet him half way.
 
My mom had a kids bible meant for moms to read with their daughters. There was also one for boys.

It was a lot more attention grabbing. Kids that age struggle with paying attention. Granted, this doesn’t mean you let them stay that way. Making them sit and focus is one of the most important things you can teach your child, cognitively speaking.

But maybe children’s bibles and prayer books could be helpful in the meantime. I know my mom said I was the one forcing her to read the books to me, lol
 
I’m sure you’re already doing this, but are they part of a bedtime ritual he likes (lighting a special candle and talking quietly about what was great and not so great today, having a cup of hot milk, listening to a story with his favorite teddy bear…) ?
 
I have a 3 year old.
I know what you mean.
Pray to the blessed Virgin Mary, asking for her help.
Then when you have time, you may like to look up:

Total Consecration to The Blessed Virgin Mary, St Louis De Montfort.

To consecrate you’re child to God through the blessed Virgin Mary, would be the best thing you could ever do for your children, or anyone for that mater.
 
" Jesus, Colton and I do not always want to talk with you, like right now at bedtime.
But you are more important than anything to us so we are going to pray, no matter what we feel like… " [regular prayers]
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Carry Colton’s “I don’t want to pray” to Colton’s Lord with him.
You are the person he is talking alongside of when he prays but he is praying to someone real and not just repeating words with you, alongside of you.
 
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Also pray for your son. And like others have suggested add something cute like a little candle or an electric candle, maybe with baby Jesus and Virgin Mary, make the Lord look nice to him. Sometimes religious depictions may look scary even to grownups.
Children often understand more than we think. Like a Crucifix may look scary and Jesus frightening. Make sure he also sees something cute.
 
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Maybe pray earlier in the day? Maybe make the prayers shorter, or less structured?

Maybe say “what do you want to tell God or what do you want to thank God for today?”

I remember praying in kindergarten, and the prayers were short and simple. Grace was” God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food”

He can learn more complex prayers as he gets older.
 
OP. Has Colton realised that bed time prayers mean “Night, night for little children” and that he can’t stay up taking part in all the “fun” that the adults and possible older siblings are doing?
 
Yes and for a grownup that can mean many things (a reminder of one’s sins that lead to that terrible image) while a child may get just scared.
I say may because I have seen many kids kissing the Crucifix on the Good Friday and be unflinching and quite joyful. While there was this just boy who started to cry and refused to kiss it.
I find it scary too but then I think that I should get more scared of my sins than of the fact that God simply did this and there is no way convincing Him not to do it.
 
My! You certainly have some interesting views. Not Catholic, but interesting.

Would you be willing to share which church or ideology you agree with? Thanks.
 
Alchopwn said:
Prayer shows a lack of faith in God’s perfect plan. Do you seriously think that the omniscient being who is the Lord God doesn’t know what you want already? God will either give you what you want, or God won’t. The great danger with prayer is that devils will hear them and thus and grant you the things that God would wisely forbid you. Look to the wisdom of your child for he is male and therefore according to scripture, set above you as your teacher, for you are only a woman and while the child is given into your care by God you must not think yourself his mistress or his owner, especially when he is already wiser than you.
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Hello, joined-two-hours-ago! 🙂

Loved your first post — it was very creative!
However, you may want to consider honing your satire skills a bit further.

In either case, welcome and have a nice day.

:woman_technologist:t2:
 
Sounds like he might be resisting bedtime, as opposed to bedtime prayers.

What are his prayers? Is it just a set formula? Is there anything “kid-friendly” involved? There are great aids like stuffed prayer buddies, prayer cubes, etc which help make prayer a friendlier experience for small children. Prayer rocks are another fun tool.

Let him have a say in which prayer you say or if you want to ask for the intercession of a given Saint (a bedtime story about Saints would help with this).

If it’s just a routine he’s forced to go through (like brushing his teeth) then he’s going to resist. If it’s something that is HIS, he may embrace it more fully.
 
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