4. Read books to kids.
Another tip for how to help your child grow spiritually is fun and engaging. Simply read books and discuss the spiritual themes. Whenever we watch a movie, we do the same thing. Afterward, we talk about how it’s like the one true story we see in Scripture. What are the themes, and how do those themes influence us?
5. Listen to kids’ questions.
This might be one of the most overlooked aspects of guiding your kids’ spiritual life. That’s because it’s out of your control and doesn’t come on a schedule. But your kids have questions, so when they ask, engage them. Don’t shoo them away or scold them for asking. If they’re skeptical or have doubts, talk with them.
This is an incredibly powerful message you send as their parent. You’re telling them it’s okay to ask questions, to wonder about something, to be unsure.
If you don’t know the answer, tell them. Then study it together.
Ask why they’re curious about the topic. This engages their life. Is it in a book, a show, from a friend? This is an important window into their world.
6. Interact with their friends and talk about how to pick friends.
Don’t sit on the sidelines when it comes to your kids’ friends and playmates. You have an enormous impact on their spiritual lives, but so do their friends. Be involved in that, and guide them with friendships at every age and stage.
7. Pray for them.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you know this. But it’s easy to overlook the power of prayer when you’re exploring how to help your child grow spiritually. If you aren’t praying for your kids, who do you think is?
Pray for them. Pray with them. Ask them what you can pray for, even if they say nothing. (That will happen often as they get older.)
Are these guaranteed ways to guide children to grow spiritually? No. There isn’t a sure-fire answer to almost anything in parenting. But parenting is about involvement and trying and faith. Lots of it!
This article about how to help your child grow spiritually originally appeared here.
