Sunday, April 21, 2013

Teaching My Toddler About Jesus



I've learned in my (short one year) experience as a mother, that I have to be intentional in training, teaching and disciplining Walker. None of these things happen naturally and it takes extra thought and effort on my part to incorporate them into our days. 

Just like I have to be intentional about my relationship with Jesus, I also have to be intentional about teaching Walker about Jesus and I don't think it's ever too early too start! My biggest task as a parent is to disciple Walker as a follower of Christ and I thought I would share with you all the simple little things I do to help Walker in his walk with the Lord.

1. Pray before meals & bedtime - This might seem trivial, but it's a great (& easy) way to show Walker how to talk to God and give thanks. 

2. Play Christian Music - I play instrumental hymns and praise music throughout the week. It relaxes us both. My favorite stations on Pandora are Amazing Grace (Instrumental Hymns),Watermark and The Praise Baby Collection. I've also heard great things about Seeds Family Worship which is a company that puts scripture to music in a kid friendly way. 

3. Read Christian Based Board Books - We bought Walker a board book bible for Easter and try to read a story from it each night before bed. He has a short attention span though so sometimes we just get one page read and that's okay. I also try to show him the cover everyday and tell him "Look, that's Jesus!" 
We also have a prayer board book and try to read a prayer from it each night. 

4. Sing Hymns and Children's Songs - I normally find myself singing praise songs as I'm doing my morning chores and Walker loves to hear anyone sing! What toddler doesn't shake their little booty when they hear music? We also try to sing "Jesus Loves Me" before bed, but we have gotten away from that lately. 

5. Read Scripture Aloud as a Family - Okay I admit, we don't do this very often, but it would be a great thing to build into our days!

6. Watch Christian Based DVDS - I know this is a controversial topic, but I do allow Walker to watch some TV each week and I love the Praise Baby DVDs! They are mostly slow and calming which I love and I often find myself singing along. I plan on purchasing more soon. Veggie tales is also a great option for teaching bible stories and character qualities. 

I don't do all of these perfectly each day, but I do try to at least do some of them consistently. It is so important to guide our little babies hearts towards the Lord and I pray that I am doing that well at this stage in our lives. 

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14 comments:

  1. LeighaApril 21, 2013 at 9:37 PM

    We love the Praise Baby and Seeds Family Worship songs too :) M can now say "Jesus" and likes to point him out in her Bible and board books. She also likes to point out the cross. :) This age is so fun and they learn so quickly! It's never too early to start!

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    1. UnknownApril 21, 2013 at 9:53 PM

      I know it's too fun! I love following along with Madeleine's development so I know what to look forward too with Walker! :)

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  2. VernaApril 22, 2013 at 4:01 AM

    Great ideas!! It's never too early to start teaching them about God! My 3 year old son is starting to memorize bible verses! So proud of him!!

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    1. UnknownApril 22, 2013 at 7:32 PM

      Awesome! I bet it's so cute to hear them say scripture! :)

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  3. MIchelle @ Moms Are FrugalApril 22, 2013 at 4:08 PM

    I recently started saying Jesus' name at least 5 times a day. I want my children ages 4 and 2 to grow up being comfortable saying his name.

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  4. IApril 23, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    Thank you for linking this post up with Teach Me Tuesdays! Being a stay-at-home mom of 2 little boys, almost 6 months and 2 years old... I often feel like I'm not doing enough to bring them to God or to teach them about how to live in a way that is serving Christ. We used to go to a church, as a visitor on occasions, that had a HUGE mural of the life of Jesus. I remember I would show him the mural and tell him all about Jesus and his love for him. We didn't attend this church, just visited every month or so. I remember when my son was about 15 months old, we walked into the Church, and there was that mural... He pointed up and said "Momma, Jesus". My heart just melted. I feel like I'm not doing a good enough job, but I think they soak in more than we give them credit for. :)

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    1. UnknownApril 23, 2013 at 10:19 PM

      I'm so glad this post encouraged you! Keep up the good work! :)

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  5. Brianna BellApril 24, 2013 at 9:13 AM

    I love this! I have an 11 month old daughter who is very active. Sometimes I just want to throw my hands into the air and say, "none of this is making a difference!" But it is. We just can't see the fruit yet. I love that you point out that sometimes you only get one page read, and that's okay. At this age -- it's so hard to read to them, talk to them, pray with them...but it doesn't have to be perfect, and even ten seconds of "quiet" is special for both mama and baby.

    One other thing that I like to do is play Hillsong Worship, and dance with my daughter while singing to the words. She really likes these special moments and will often clap, lift her hands up in the air, or just lay her head on my shoulder. Best time of the day!

    Blessings,

    Brianna
    http://teatimewithbri.blogspot.ca/

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    1. UnknownApril 24, 2013 at 12:56 PM

      Hi Brianna, thanks so much for stopping by! I think we as moms just need to do what we can and leave the rest up too God. No need to stress over it when they are so young. :)

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  6. Jessica SApril 27, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    We began Family Worship Time when our "blessings" were 2 & 3. At that time, our Family Worship Time was very short! Short Prayer time, easy songs and hymns, short Bible reading, and another short prayer time. Sometimes, we had times where we would share things/people we are thankful to God for. We also started at this age learning Bible verses (car rides are great for this!). We took it very slowly and have tried not to just have them "memorize" but to really explain what the verses mean (and the context when needed). Now, our children are 4 and 5 (and another blessing on the way! :o) ). We have memorized together about 25 Bible Verses (we are working on James Chapter 1 right now). We have family Worship time most evenings and use the book, "Leading Little Ones To God". As you have wisely pointed out, it's about being intentional! These are all new things to my husband and I. We did not have Family Worship time, nor memorize scripture, and didn't see our parents having quiet times. Our parents didn't share much about their faith with us. I am so thankful to the Lord for the work He has done in our lives and hearts. I am praying that we will continue to nurture our children in the Lord. One day soon, I pray, they will trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins! Thank you for your writings! It's very encouraging to know their are other parents who desire the same for their children!
    Standing on His Promises~Jessica

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  7. From Snowflakes To HotcakesJune 5, 2013 at 2:24 PM

    I know you wrote this a while ago but I am WAY behind on my blog reading. I wanted to let you know I found this really encouraging and it challenged me to do more to teach my little one about Jesus too. :-) I especially liked the "pray aloud" reminder. We have tones of board books and we read them often and do many of those other things, but that's one thing we could do more of. I haev kept this post open on my browser for like 2 weeks to help remind me. :) I also loved the tips in the comments above too. Thanks for posting!

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    1. UnknownJune 5, 2013 at 7:11 PM

      I'm so glad that this post has encouraged you!

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