Don’t Tell Them Anything They’ll Need to Unlearn
Our children deserve to know the stories that matter to us. So tell them the stories of your tradition –and of other traditions, when appropriate. If and when they ask, “Is that a true story?”, they may be asking, “Did that really happen?” But you don’t have to answer that question. You can say, “I don’t know if it happened that way or not, but I know this is an important and truthful story.”
We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that children are concrete thinkers who can’t grasp metaphor. But think of the stories children are fascinated by: Tales of talking animals, talking trains, fairy tales, the Harry Potter books. Children don’t reject these stories because “things like that don’t happen.”
Of course, the Bible and other sacred scriptures are not fairy tales – but we make a mistake when we think that stories must be factually true in order to be true and truthful.
And about God in particular? Ask them. Very young children often have fascinating things to say about God.
Originally posted on The Washington Post website.
Hi Chris,
Here’s a good place to start: Mark Bozzuti-Jones, an Episcopal priest, has a number of beautiful books that fit the bill…such as God Created.
One excellent book for parents is Elizabeth Caldwell’s “Making a Home for Faith: Nurturing the Spiritual Life of Your Children” (2nd edition, Pilgrim Press, 2007).
A question about parenting! Can you please recommend any books or other materials for introducing God (and Christianity) to my young children. I’m conscious of not wanting them to fall into the same trap as I did – i.e. taking things too literally when young and then having to unlearn things later in life! Are there books for children that embrace the ’emerging paradigm’ from the beginning?
thanks
Chris