How to nurture your child’s spirituality
Human beings are endowed physically, mentally, and spiritually. To tend to the physical and mental, and ignore the spiritual, could lead to an inward imbalance in the child. The following are ways that can help you nurture your child’s spirituality…
Take a stance on what you believe in
You need to come to terms with what you believe in as a person. What spiritual ground do you stand on? What do you believe in terms of the origin of all life? To what divine power do you turn to when you are facing difficulties?
For your child’s sake, such existential questions need to be sorted out on your part to give the child a sound foundation for their spirituality.
Don’t be afraid to start your child’s spiritual journey early
Young children may not comprehend who God is but have the capacity to learn, albeit slowly. If they can perceive that a person is important from an early age, then they can also know that God is important.
Make use of mundane activities to nurture your child’s spirituality
You can teach about God through day-to-day activities like cleaning and cooking. Cleanliness you can say is next to godliness and in addition to this, God provides the family with food and it is important to be grateful to him.
By using ordinary language like “Goodnight, God bless you my dear” or saying in the morning, “Good morning love, what a wonderful day God has made”, your child begins to connect the dots of who God is and what he does.
Develop a love for nature in your child
The element of being at one with nature is cross-cultural. Nature is a great place to find inspiration and a sense of spirituality. The late Albert Einstein, a renowned physicist, said, “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.”
With a similar view, Mahatma Gandhi said that to forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. Nature is part of God’s symbol that he exists and thus to nurture a child to love nature is to make God love the child.
Have your child help you cultivate a kitchen garden and tend to it. Help him or her plant trees. Take your child for walks or picnics in a natural environment.
Share stories with your child
You have to be your child’s library. Tell him or her stories from holy books or myths. Simplify complex ideas for your child. Show him or her the different angles of approaching the divine. You can also use traditional folk tales to influence your child’s appreciation for diversity. Add to your stories the moral lessons in them and cultivate tolerance for other religions and traditions.
Make learning fun
Making learning fun means that your child will absorb most of the information. One of the best ways you can touch your child’s spirituality is through singing and dancing.
Play some spiritual music and sing along to it with your child. Painting is also another fun activity. Help your child to paint trees, rivers, angels or other spiritual related art.
Additionally, perform plays at home or puppet shows. This hands-on approach will improve your child’s development and boost their spiritual growth.
SEE ALSO: The POWER of meditation
Teach your child to embrace silence
From time to time observe silence with your child. This could be as a form of mediation or prayer. Blaise Pascal, a renowned mathematician, said, “Silence. All human unhappiness comes from not knowing how to stay quietly in a room.” Silence allows for introspection.
In conclusion…
Though your child may not be aware, slowly he or she will learn to embrace silence as a way of reflection. Introduce a simple prayer. In case your child is too young to perform prayers individually, use ping-pong prayer. In this prayer, you use a simple phrase such as, ” I am grateful to God, for…” and he or she fills in the blanks.
