My toddler & Mass

[KLT_mommy]

Our daughter who will be 2 in July is starting to learn how to pray & make the sign of the cross at home before bed.

Would it be okay for me to try to pray out loud with her before mass begins? Would that be disrespectful seeing as how most pray silently?

Is it silly to start showing her her how to bless herself with holy water at the door?

Would it also be silly to try to show her how to bow or kneel before we sit?

She has always attended mass with us but I feel like she may be more interested if she is involved. Giving the sign of peace has been a favorite of hers for awhile now, she loves to shake everyone’s hands! Haha she enjoys “singing” along and I feel this would make mass more enjoyable for her, or am I asking to much?

 

[underacloud]

I would not pray aloud as it is a distraction to others. But everything else sounds fine. Generally kids will learn from what their parents do, so just involve her increasingly as she is ready, and continue to model the appropriate behaviours for her.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Our daughter who will be 2 in July is starting to learn how to pray & make the sign of the cross at home before bed.

Would it be okay for me to try to pray out loud with her before mass begins? Would that be disrespectful seeing as how most pray silently?

Is it silly to start showing her her how to bless herself with holy water at the door?

Would it also be silly to try to show her how to bow or kneel before we sit?

She has always attended mass with us but I feel like she may be more interested if she is involved. Giving the sign of peace has been a favorite of hers for awhile now, she loves to shake everyone’s hands! Haha she enjoys “singing” along and I feel this would make mass more enjoyable for her, or am I asking to much?

Would it be okay for me to try to pray out loud with her before mass begins? Would that be disrespectful seeing as how most pray silently?

Well, I will admit it is cuter than most people who treat before Mass as social chest bumping hour. But since you mention that most people pray quietly I think it is probably not advisable.

Is it silly to start showing her her how to bless herself with holy water at the door?

A holy action silly? Why would you even ask that?

Would it also be silly to try to show her how to bow or kneel before we sit?

Again, nope. not silly. And also not hard to do. About 30 seconds to teach a kid how to kneel. Most two year olds kneel pretty naturally in a lot of situations.

 

[Mr_Clean]

Out loud? Or whisper? I think as long as you keep it short and sweet it would be just fine to whisper a little prayer.

There used to be a devout family at our parish - you know, a dozen kids and counting, mom and the girls veiled - that rare kind of family these days.

Anyway, when the preist would be at the altar doing his thing this family had a little girl maybe 5 yrs old that would say loud enough for all to hear “my Lord and my God”. Almost made me cry.

 

[retire_early]

I would not pray aloud as it is a distraction to others. But everything else sounds fine. Generally kids will learn from what their parents do, so just involve her increasingly as she is ready, and continue to model the appropriate behaviours for her.

 

[Jon_S_1]

Our daughter who will be 2 in July is starting to learn how to pray & make the sign of the cross at home before bed.

Would it be okay for me to try to pray out loud with her before mass begins? Would that be disrespectful seeing as how most pray silently?

Is it silly to start showing her her how to bless herself with holy water at the door?

Would it also be silly to try to show her how to bow or kneel before we sit?

She has always attended mass with us but I feel like she may be more interested if she is involved. Giving the sign of peace has been a favorite of hers for awhile now, she loves to shake everyone’s hands! Haha she enjoys “singing” along and I feel this would make mass more enjoyable for her, or am I asking to much?

Absolutely! There is nothing wrong with praying out loud. Please do it and enjoy teaching your child how to participate. I have mine participating from day one ( converts so they were 3,5,6.). I never really had much problems typical of parents with young kids because I make them participate. My three year old loves to go in and kneel on the kneeler and pray.

I even caught them playing church one day at home. My son was the priest and my daughter the EMHC and my 3 year old the altar server holding a book in front if my son to read the Lord’s Prayer.

Pay no attention to the people who say kids don’t belong in church or it should be silent.

 

[Beryllos]

If your church is rather noisy before Mass, as mine is, there would be no problem if you and your child pray softly, at the level of a murmur or whisper. My young son and I pray like that sometimes before Mass.

Also if there is a visible change in the appearance of the altar and sanctuary, as we see going into Lent or Easter, for example, I sometimes speak softly to point out the significance of the colors, flowers, or other decorations.

It would be most appropriate, and not silly at all, for you to show her how to bless herself, bow, kneel, and so on. It is excellent that you are teaching your child in this way. If she is old enough to observe, imitate, and absorb your teachings, do all that you can.

God bless you and your family.

 

[Beryllos]

Absolutely! There is nothing wrong with praying out loud. Please do it and enjoy teaching your child how to participate. I have mine participating from day one ( converts so they were 3,5,6.). I never really had much problems typical of parents with young kids because I make them participate. My three year old loves to go in and kneel on the kneeler and pray.

I even caught them playing church one day at home. My son was the priest and my daughter the EMHC and my 3 year old the altar server holding a book in front if my son to read the Lord’s Prayer.

Pay no attention to the people who say kids don’t belong in church or it should be silent.

 

[mountee]

Most of us who arrive early before Mass would not mind a child learning to pray but I would urge you to have her use her “inside” voice. That would be the one that is a quiet voice which would probably not be heard ten pews away. Since you will always be your daughters most important teacher and role model everything she learns from you and with you is great! I admire how you are going at this,

 

[KLT_mommy]

She does very well with an “inside voice” so of course we would have quite prayers so she can learn the routine of Mass.
Our parish tends to be a rathe social one before mass, but adults don’t have a need to pray “out loud” so I was worried. I know she won’t understand that we say some prayers in our heads just yet.
Thank you all for your (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[Anglewannabe]

I wouldn’t teach her to pray out loud in the pew. Perhaps teach her to pray at home silently so she knows when you bow your head and put your hands together you are praying. Even if she can use her inside voice, I think it would be confusing to explain to a 2 year old, praying is ok but talking isn’t.