This article was exactly why my book "Kids Ask The Darndest Things About God And The Beginning" was written! Sex shouldn't be an easier subject to talk about with our kids because God created life and sex for procreation in the beginning. "Kids Ask The Darndest Things About God And The Beginning" would help to answer these questions easily and truthfully about death, life and everyday occurrences that go on in kids daily lives and not feel lost or uncomfortable talking about it. And my book will also educate you with misconceptions and lessons missed while you were a child attending church. I share the exact scripture that answers our everyday questions yet simplify the answers so we all, parents and kids, can understand. I believe that once the parent has this resource then the child will feel at ease when asking questions of ANY sort, because they know it's the truth. You can find "Kids Ask The Darndest Things About God And The Beginning" at www.amazon.com or my site at: www.ball-publications.com for more info. May God Bless!
MODERN FAMILY
Kathleen Deveny
Talking to Kids About God
I'm a practicing Catholic. So why does the subject of religion make me so uncomfortable?
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Sometimes I think it is easier to talk to my daughter about sex than about God. Perhaps that's because I have a pretty good idea where babies come from, but I'm still a little fuzzy on the details about God. It's also because my daughter is only 7, so we haven't gotten to the really difficult conversations about sex. But I have a few ideas about what I'll say when the time comes. I was caught by surprise, however, when she asked me how your soul gets out of your body when you die.
We were talking about Heath Ledger, and how sad it was that he died so young. Then she asked if someone came to "rip his soul out." After making a mental note to pay more attention to the materials she brought home from her weekly religion classes, I explained that no one "rips" anything out of you. It's something far more natural and peaceful, I said. Like a burp.
That seemed to do the trick. She nodded thoughtfully, burped and moved on. The conversation raised a few questions for me, however, and not just about my gift for metaphor. Why does the subject of religion make me so uncomfortable? OK, so I'm divorced (twice!) and I haven't always been, um, a paragon of virtue. Still, I consider myself a practicing Roman Catholic. I take my kid to church most Sundays. (In the winter, at least.) I grew up as a Catholic and I find comfort in the familiar rituals of the mass. I am glad my daughter is getting some religious training.
But when confronted by my daughter's questions—Does God have arms? Do you really have to drink blood?—I'm completely lost. What was I doing during all those years of weekly CCD classes? I learned that Jesus loves me and I listened to a lot of bad guitar-playing at mass when I was growing up in the 1960s. But I didn't memorize the Baltimore Catechism and I couldn't name the seven deadly sins if my life depended on it. I could come up with only eight of the Ten Commandments!
It's not just about the gaps in my education. As a "cafeteria Catholic," I don't accept all the tenets of my religion. I am never going to teach my daughter that evolution is a fraud, and someday I will encourage her to think critically, not doctrinally, about issues like artificial birth control, stem-cell research and abortion.
Even when I agree with the church, I've discovered I'm just not that comfortable discussing the mysteries of faith. Other parents share my ambivalence. "I kind of play down the religious aspect of church, which is easy when you are a Presbyterian," says a friend who has a 9-year-old daughter. "At a recent parents' meeting to discuss what we would like the Sunday school to teach, I got quite a few funny looks when I said I didn't want a lot of emphasis on the spiritual side of things."
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