5 Ways to Share Your Faith with Your Kids

It starts with small moments. A bedtime story that illustrates a value you deeply believe in. A nature walk where you express gratitude for the wonder around you. Love and patience during your child’s most epic tantrums. Yes, in the everyday moments you have with your child, in the things you’re already doing as a parent, you are already sharing your faith.

Let’s first answer the question – Should we share our faith with our kids in the first place?

Some people may be hesitant to do this, believing it’s brainwashing. However, the reality is, that our kids are bombarded with messages every day. From the videos that they watch to the music they listen to, and even the people they meet, children are constantly being influenced by the world around them. These messages aren’t neutral; they carry perspectives that may not always align with our most deeply held values. They may not have our children’s best interests at heart.

Introducing kids to our faith is not about being a dictator or being judgmental, as some people fear. Rather, we’re equipping them with a foundation of values and principles. This foundation can help them navigate life’s challenges, and grow up to be resilient and discerning, so they make decisions that are true to themselves and respectful of others. Research has shown that faith and prayer can improve their mental health as well.

Sharing your faith with your children also offers them an alternative to the messages they’re bombarded with daily – messages telling them they’re failing, that they’re not good enough, that they need to be just like everyone else, following what’s popular on social media, or that their worth is tied to the latest cool toy or gadget. If we as parents are constantly bombarded with messages like these, so are our kids. 

Sharing your faith and your values can provide your kids with a sense of belonging to a community that shares a set of beliefs, and a framework for understanding the world that prioritizes love, compassion, and integrity. 

When we share our faith with our kids, we take into account their developmental level. When children are two years old, they enter the “preoperational stage” of cognitive development, which lasts until they are about seven years old. During this stage of development, children grow in their language and thinking. Play, especially pretend play, becomes a big part of how they learn. So pretend play and stories are great ways to share your faith with them at this age.

#1 – Read your favorite faith stories with your child.

If we tell our kids stories about Peter Pan or Cinderella, it is only right we also tell our kids the stories that are important to our faith. 

If you belong to a different faith, you will have great stories that are important to you – and share these with your kids.

I am Catholic so my examples will be from the Catholic faith. Read together a children’s Bible with the stories broken down for young kids. Take it a step further with Bible-related play activities, such as drawing what happened in the stories or playing David and Goliath, Noah’s Ark, Jonah, and the Whale, or reenacting stories of Jesus’s life.

Share the stories behind the holidays and traditions of your faith, such as the Easter story and what it means.

# 2 – Pray for your child and with your child.

Pray for their relationship, their health, safety, and anything else in your heart. You can also pray that God gives you wisdom, guidance, and grace in parenting. When you pray, you model a strong relationship with God.

Pray with your child too. For toddlers, it can be as simple as, “Thank you, Lord.” You can pray before meals, at bedtime, in the morning, etc. As your toddler grows, ask them who they want to pray for, and include them in your prayer together. As they continue to grow, allow them to be the ones to say the prayer.

# 3 – Sing songs of faith with your child.

You can do this while you get ready for the day, in the car, before bedtime, etc. You can incorporate music into almost any part of your day! 

A few of my favorite songs are “Jesus Loves Me,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “Joy Down in My Heart.” You can find some great playlists and channels online to use or even create your own with all of your favorite songs.

# 4 – Share your faith through faith-related kids’ activities.

Let your child join faith-related kids’ activities, Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School. Let them join youth groups once they are older. You and your family will have the support of others who share your faith.

You can also complete small acts of kindness with your kids. It can be as simple as choosing toys to donate or helping a neighbor rake leaves. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. The most important aspect is your kids seeing you serving and helping those around you.

# 5 – Model it

Kids learn most by watching what we DO, and NOT mainly by hearing what we say. They learn best by example. If they see us acting kind towards others, serving those around us, praying, and living out our faith, they will know to do the same.  Some people say sharing your faith with your kids is judgmental and teaches them intolerance. But, Discerning Parent, I know that you are not a judgmental or intolerant person. I know that you believe in the values of kindness, acceptance, and inclusivity.

So if we live out our faith by example, our kids will not learn intolerance. It is the complete opposite! Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves and is continuously serving others. He ate with tax collectors and healed lepers. Jesus was welcoming to every person He encountered. Jesus teaches us to love people regardless of their background.

As you do these – tell stories, go through everyday experiences – a lot of questions and conversations will come up. If you have young kids, you’ve most likely experienced being on the receiving end of hundreds of questions – and many of them don’t have easy answers. “Why do we pray?” “I heard her tell a lie! That’s bad, right?” “What happens after we die?” This is your cue for opening dialogues. Embrace their curiosity. It’s not about having all the answers but exploring the answers together. It’s about opening a dialogue that encourages critical thinking, where it’s safe for them to ask you their questions, and they won’t be scolded for being silly, and they won’t be labeled as disrespectful. 

Conclusion

In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, sharing your faith with your children can be a source of comfort and stability. It’s a way to connect with them on a deeper level, sharing stories, rituals, and traditions that have been meaningful to you and your family.

Ultimately, if we don’t share our faith with our children, we leave a void that will be filled by the myriad of other influences vying for their attention. By sharing our faith, we give them the tools to navigate it with wisdom, compassion, love, respect, and a deeper sense of self and identity.