Spiritual Development
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We make sure our children eat a healthy diet, get their immunizations and we provide the best education we can manage, all to nurture their bodies and minds. But how do we nurture their spirit?
A recent survey by George Barna revealed that nearly 90 percent of Americans identify themselves as “religious.” This clearly implies that most Americans have some belief in spiritual matters. Yet our popular culture talks about spirituality from many perspectives, and our children are hearing many and varied messages. How does today’s parent navigate these divergent messages and provide good spiritual guidance for their children?
- Begin by coming to grips with your own faith or beliefs. What is your family’s faith tradition? What do you want it to be?
- Determine to nurture your child’s spirit.
- Introduce your child to traditions you value by involving them in groups and activities that affirm your beliefs.
- Talk to God. This can be as simple as saying grace before a meal or having a bedtime prayer with the kids.
Consider this: If we leave a spiritual void in our child’s life, chances are good that someone or something else will be ready to fill it. Why leave it to chance?
For a Christian perspective on spiritual training, we recommend Heritage Builders resources. These are designed to help parents pass their faith to their kids while having fun and building strong parent/child bonds.