Father and child in the snow - Photo credit: faeryboots on flickr.com
Day Three of Spirituality Week has a personal resonance for me. I am the mother of a two-year-old, so guidance on how to teach my daughter about Spirituality is especially timely.
I took my little one to her pediatrician this week for a well-visit. I had questions about her diet, potty training, sleep habits, discipline and behavior. Every answer the doctor provided had a common theme: whether it’s eating, sleeping, going potty, or behaving, my two-year-old is learning how the world works ALL THE TIME. And her number one teachers? We, Her Parents. Ah, the pressure! And the glorious opportunity! She is constantly looking to her father and me to see how people eat healthily, take care of their hygiene and environment, sleep and wake on a routine, and “predict with 100% accuracy” (hat tip to Dr. Phil) what consequences her bad and good behavior will illicit.
So when it comes to Spirituality, the same theme certainly applies. Teaching my daughter to be Spiritual will mean that I will model forgiveness of self and others (see Day One’s Lesson on Forgiveness.) I will shape her self-image by telling and showing her that it’s okay to make mistakes, to accept frustration and work through it, and try new things even if she might not excel at them right away.
Our guest Spirituality contributor, Gregory Drambour, has some additonal insights and real-life strategies for teaching your children about Spirituality in his article, Doing Something About How Your Children See the World. Check out this guest blogger post from Gregory in Day Three Part Two.
Coming up on Spirituality Week – Day Four: Spiritual Glossary
