The saying goes that football, politics and religion They should not be discussed, each one has their own preferences and the right thing is to keep them to oneself. But when it comes to children, offer some kind of religious orientation ? preferably detached from labels? It can be a good way to teach them values such as charity and love of neighbor.
When you enter the subject in small education and how to do so that they do not feel compelled to adopt this or that religion, and care not to develop in them any kind of prejudice or hatred motivated by faith, are common and important questions among parents.
At what age do you start?
According to experts, it is important to give children general notions of good and evil from an early age. They need to understand that they must respect others, so the general rule to be passed is "I should not do to others what I would not want them to do to me." This notion is enough for the first years of life.
For a child under the age of seven, it is very difficult to separate material from abstract.
Therefore speaking of God before this age is delicate. A very young child cannot understand God without linking him to the image of a bearded lord who dwells in the heavens, that is, without creating a "material" image. to herself.
The ideal is to explain to the youngest the difference between good and evil without associating these definitions with a particular church or belief. If you want to give church specific guidance, you can encourage them to attend children's evangelism classes, but be careful not to force the situation. Children who attend this kind of environment because they are obliged to do so tend to develop aversion rather than sympathy.
According to psychologist Aimê dos Santos Alves, “the feeling of religiosity should appear over time, since the human being must have the freedom of choice. Then, for the little ones, we will transmit, through examples and dialogue, the feeling of solidarity, citizenship, participation, love and respect for others and nature. Over time, with age, tastes and choices will change, but will moral and ethical principles surely solidify so that our children will know the way to go?
Spirituality is a simple and coherent way to teach moral, ethical and family values to little ones. Children who receive notions of the subject grow up with a better emotional and moral structure.
Do not stimulate prejudice
Once your child has shown an interest in one religion or another, start talking to him or her about the need to respect religious choices from other people. This is important to prevent him from developing prejudices of any kind regarding other religious beliefs and doctrines.
This tip is also valid in case the child ends up following the same religion as the parents. Encouraging discriminatory behaviors or pre-formulated ideas about realities that you do not know properly and wrongly undermine your children's relationship with the rest of society.
In a world where the integration of different mindsets and ideologies is increasingly widespread, it is worth passing on this kind of positive value to new generations.
What is Popular Religiosity (April 2024)
- Children and adolescents
- 1,230
