It's always ideal to start kids young, especially if you want them to develop a good habit. The same holds true when introducing God to your kids. They must meet God when they're young so you can help instill the habit of praying and going to church as early as possible. When they meet God, they'll better understand why it is important to practice respect and love all the time. But of course, they cannot know God alone. Your role here is very important. To help you out, here are five ways on how you can introduce God to your children.
1. Get a Bible for Children
The Bible you use isn't something the kids will gravitate to. They like picture books with colourful pictures and large font. Because of that, you can buy a Bible designed for toddlers. You can also pair it with separate Bible story books for young kids as well. Prioritize telling stories about God. You can start with the story of Creation, Noah's Ark, the birth of Baby Jesus, and the likes. Start with stories that they can easily understand and will be interested in.
2. Role play the stories
To make things more fun for the kids, you can also role play the stories together. You can make the role play as the introduction to your story or do it afterward. Either way, allowing the kids to play a certain Biblical character will also help them understand the character and the stories better. Moreover, you can also switch it up by using your child's toy to role play the stories. That will surely stir their interest more.
3. Sing and dance
Toddlers love singing and dancing, which is why there are plenty of Christian songs for children with catchy tunes and lyrics. The words are easy to remember so that kids can easily sing along. Of course, the kids love getting physical too with rhythmic movements that they can easily dance to. You can start with songs such as "This Little Light of Mine," "Father Abraham," and "I've Got The Joy Joy Joy Joy." Honestly, I can still remember the songs I learned in Sunday school to date.
4. Pray together
Praying is a habit you need to teach your kids as early as possible. It is very important that at an early age, a child realizes that he/she can talk to God whenever he/she wants to. It is also important for them to know that God will always listen to them and that God is always there to protect them if they're afraid. Praying isn't just about asking God for things, your child will also learn how to thank God for His blessings. Start by praying with your child in the morning, before meals, and at night every day.
5. Talk about God
Now that you've introduced your child to God, you must focus on maintaining that interest. Talk about God whenever you can. Be careful not to sound like you're forcing your child to listen. Meeting God should be at your child's pace. You can start by saying "Look at how beautiful those flowers are, let's thank God for that." You can relate everyday things and activities to God in a subtle way, but one that your toddler can easily get and understand. This way, he or she will always remember that God created everything and they should be thankful.
It's not really that complicated to introduce a child to the Lord. However, remember to follow your child's pace and not force feed information. This might result in your child not wanting to even listen at all. You know your child best, so use that information to come up with a lesson plan on how to introduce your child to God and maintain that interest. Also, do your best to help your child's relationship with God to blossom. Someday, your child will thank you for that.
