Parenting at More4kids » Religion

Explaining Easter to Children

More4kids — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:10:23 +0000

by Stacey Schifferdecker

Children’s Minister, PTA volunteer, and Scout leader.

Christmas is so much easier – babies, sheep, angels, stars. It’s pretty much all about love and presents: things your kids can relate to. Sure there’s the nasty part where Herod kills the baby boys, but that’s not an essential part of the story and you can leave it out if you want to.

Easter, on the other hand, is much tougher. You have the joy and celebration of Palm Sunday and the even bigger joy and celebration of Easter one week later. But in between, there is betrayal, denial, torture, pain, and death. How do you explain all this to children?

Your first instinct might just be to skip it, to go directly from Palm Sunday to Easter without that disturbing stop at the cross. As tempting as this option is, it is not the best choice for you or your children. You can’t experience the real joy of Easter without first reflecting on the pain and sadness of Good Friday. If you skip over the cross, your children are going to approach Easter with a “So what’s all the fuss about, anyway?” attitude.

This is not to say that you should run out and rent The Passion for your kids to watch. However, there are many age-appropriate ideas Easter books and videos you can use as a starting point for sharing Easter faith with your children. Preview the books and videos first to make sure they

Match your beliefs
Are not too violent
Include Jesus’ resurrection as well as his death

You never want to tell the story of Jesus’ death without also telling about his resurrection.

Here are some other activities you can use to explain Easter to your children:

Make resurrection eggs

You can buy sets of resurrection eggs or you can make your own. To make your own, label 12 plastic eggs with the numbers 1-12 and fill them as below:

Egg 1 – a piece of fur to represent the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem
Egg 2 – a cracker symbolizing the Last Supper
Egg 3 – a piece of soap, symbolizing Jesus washing the disciples’ feet
Egg 4 – three dimes to symbolize the 30 pieces of silver Judas received to betray Jesus
Egg 5 – a feather to represent the rooster that crowed three times
Egg 6 – a thorn, symbolizing the crown of thorns that was put on Jesus’ head
Egg 7 – a die to symbolize the lots that were cast for Jesus’ clothing
Egg 8 – a small wooden cross or a nail to represent Jesus’ death on the cross
Egg 9 – a piece of black paper to symbolize the darkness that covered the earth
Egg 10 – a piece of cloth to symbolize the cloth in which Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body
Egg 11 – a rock to symbolize the stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb
Egg 12 – Leave this egg empty to symbolize Jesus’ resurrection

You can open one egg a day for the 12 days before Easter or open a couple eggs a week each week of Lent. It is extra meaningful if you can open Egg 11 on Good Friday and Egg 12 on Easter. As you open the eggs, talk about what each item represents.

Clean pennies

Your children may have difficulties understanding that Jesus died for their sins. First of all, you may need to explain to them that sin is anything we do that keeps us from being friends with God. Bring out some grimy pennies and tell them the dirt on the pennies represents their sin. Then mix ¼ cup of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Put the pennies in the vinegar mixture for about five minutes. They will come out shiny and clean! Explain that Jesus makes us shiny and clean too.

Observe Lent

Your church may or may not observe Lent, which is the 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays). Whether or not your church observes Lent, your family can at home. Lent should be a time of thinking about God and how we can grow closer to God. Many people give up something for Lent, such as desserts or soda; still others add something at Lent, such as extra prayer and Bible study. Maybe your family could add a Lenten devotion to your weekly or nightly routine.

Answer questions honestly

Your children will ask you tough questions like “Why did Jesus have to die?” and “Why didn’t God help him?” Answer as best as you can – chances are you ask yourself these same questions sometimes! Admit that you don’t understand it all yourself, but explain as best you can that Jesus died for us because it was God’s plan. Such questions are a sign that your children are growing in faith and wanting to understand for themselves, not just accept what they have been told in Sunday School. Rejoice!

Keep the emphasis on Jesus

Easter morning can easily become more about candy-filled eggs than Jesus’ resurrection. Keep the focus on Jesus, with the Easter Bunny a very secondary character. In our house, the Easter Bunny comes while we are at church Easter morning (my husband slips out for a few minutes during Sunday School to hide the eggs). This enables us to make Jesus our priority that day.

Biography
Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.

OUR NEWEST MUSIC CD

Awesome Kids Christian Music

This personalized music CD features your child’s name sung throughout 11 songs and is a great gift for Christians of any age but geared towards children from birth to about age 10. Listen to the samples and judge for yourself. This new album is an original mixture of classical Christian Music that affirms Jesus and God is watching over and loves us.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION on this personalized music CD.

Teaching Kids The Meaning of Christmas

More4kids — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 08:10:17 +0000

by Stacey Schifferdecker

Beyond Santa Claus

All I want for Christmas is… a dancing Elmo and a Kidzoom camera and a Littlest Pet Shop Pet Town and…

It is all too easy during the Christmas season to lose focus on Jesus and concentrate only on gifts, parties, decorations, and fun. If even adults have trouble keeping Christmas as a celebration of Jesus’ birth, how much more difficult it is for children entangled by the excitement and mystery of Santa Claus. But you can help your young children learn the true meaning of Christmas. Incorporate some of these ideas into your Christmas festivities this year–

Have a Nightly Christmas Story Time

Libraries and bookstores are full of Christmas books – you can easily find enough to read one book every night of December. Choose books that tell the story of Jesus’ birth rather than a Santa, Rudolph, or Frosty story. Some good choices for young children include

B is for Bethlehem
God Gave us Christmas
Room for a Little One
Who is Coming to Our House
One Baby Jesus

Make this a special time each night, perhaps snuggling up in front of the Christmas tree and reading by candlelight or flashlight with a cup of hot cocoa at hand. On Christmas Eve, read the story of Jesus’ birth straight from the Bible in the book of Luke.

Give to Others

Opportunities abound to give to others at Christmas time. Perhaps your church has an “Angel Tree” where you can choose a person to buy gifts for. If not, most malls have a tree or you can contact a social services agency in your town. Children especially enjoy choosing gifts for another child their own age. As you shop together, talk about how happy the recipient of the gift will be. Talk about how Jesus is a gift for us and how we can share his love with others.

Have a Birthday Party for Jesus

Whether or not December 25 is the day Christ was actually born, it is the day we celebrate his birth. So why not have a birthday party as part of your celebration? This can be as simple as a birthday cake as part of your Christmas dinner to a children’s party with games, food, and gifts of baby items that you will donate.

Buy a Nativity Scene your Child Can Play With

You may have a beautiful heirloom nativity set as part of your Christmas decorations – obviously you don’t want your children to play with it! But you can buy plastic or plush nativity scenes and let your children act out the Christmas story. Or the kids can make their own nativity pieces out of clothespins, wooden spoons, clay, cardboard tubes, etc. Lots of ideas are available on the internet or in children’s craft books.

Choose Religious Christmas Music

Kids love music and can learn a lot by listening to it. Songs like “Rudolph” and “Jingle Bells” are fun, but your children will absorb the meaning of Christmas if you focus on more traditional Christmas carols that tell the story of Jesus such as

Away in a Manger
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Joy to the World
We Three Kings
The First Noel
Come, All Ye Faithful
Silent Night

You can also encourage your children to participate in a Christmas pageant at your church or just make one up with their friends.

Does focusing on the real meaning behind Christmas mean no more Santa? Not necessarily. Kids love Santa and his spirit of love and giving is a fun addition to Christmas. The key is to incorporate Santa without letting him overshadow Jesus’ birth. Some ways to do this include—

Telling children the story of Saint Nicholas, the real man on whom the Santa legend is based
Separate Santa gifts from Jesus’ birthday celebration. Take a cue from other cultures, where Santa gifts are given on St. Nicholas day (December 6), New Year’s Day, or Epiphany (January 6).
If you don’t want Santa gifts to be so far from Christmas day itself, make them just one part of your Christmas celebration. For example, devote Christmas Eve to a celebration of Jesus’ birth and let children open their gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. Or go to church Christmas morning and let the kids open their gifts Christmas afternoon.

By making Christ the center of your Christmas celebrations and taking time to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas, you set a firm foundation for their faith in years to come. Give your children the best Christmas gift of all – a life centered around Jesus.

Awesome Kids Christian Songs

Great for the holiday season You child will love hearing their name sung throughout 11 songs and is a great gift for Christians of any age but geared towards children from birth to about age 10. Very wholesome songs includes an original mixture of classical Christian Music that affirms Jesus and God is watching over and loves us. Listen to sample songs on this CD.

Symbols of Easter

More4kids — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:45:43 +0000

To Christians, Easter is much more than Easter bunnies and eggs: it is the most significant day in the year as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. While Jesus should always be the focal point of Easter, many of these more commercial elements of Easter can symbolize parts of the Easter story. While they may have had different meanings at other times in history, now they help us remember our new lives in Christ.

Rabbits

The rabbit was a symbol of fertility in ancient times. Now, rabbits represent the abundant new life available to us through Jesus.

Eggs and chicks

Eggs appear lifeless, but life is inside an egg and can break forth, just as Jesus did in the tomb. The egg itself can also represent the stone that was rolled in front of Jesus’ tomb.

The first Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring. One legend theories that Simon of Cyrene, who carried Jesus’ cross for him, was an egg merchant. When he retrieved his basket of eggs after carrying the cross, he found that all the eggs were miraculously colored and decorated.

Chicks are also symbols of new life and re-birth.

Butterflies

As a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, it appears to be dead and lifeless. However, it then emerges as a beautiful butterfly, symbolizing the Easter cycle of life – death – resurrection. In the same way, Jesus was dead in the tomb but emerged victorious to give eternal life to all believers.

A fun family activity before Easter is to raise butterflies. You can purchase caterpillars and supplies at Insectlore.com. If you time the purchase right, you will have live butterflies to release on Easter morning.

Lambs

In Judaism, lambs were one of the animals that could be sacrificed to atone for sins. Jesus is called the Lamb of God and lambs represent Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Flowers

Many flowers are special symbols of Easter, representing new life as they bloom in the spring. Lilies are especially significant at Easter. As lilies grow from a bulb that appears dead, Christians remember how Jesus came back to life. White lilies, in particular, represent the purity of Jesus.

New hats and clothes

Wearing new hats and clothes at Easter is more than just a fashion statement. They also symbolize our new life in Christ, as we shed the old and welcome the new.

Biography Stacey Schifferdecker is the happy but harried mother of three school-aged children—two boys and a girl. She is also a freelance writer, a Children’s Minister, a PTA volunteer, and a Scout leader. Stacey has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and French and a Master’s degree in English. She has written extensively about parenting and education as well as business, technology, travel, and hobbies.

The Child and the Rainbow

More4kids — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:58:38 +0000

The rainstorm had just ended and the boy and his father went out for a walk in the cool spring air. They both liked taking a walk together after a rainstorm. It was always so quiet and peaceful.

As they walked the boy suddenly turned to his father and asked, "Why do some people have different color skin?"

The father was slightly taken aback. It was such an abrupt question. What should he tell his son? He thought for a minute, and suddenly he paused…. He saw something in the distance.

He knelt on one knee and pointed to a rainbow forming. The father decided instead to ask his son a question. "What if a rainbow only had one color?"

The little boy looked at the rainbow. At first he looked confused and said "I would be very sad if a rainbow only had one color".

Then the boys dad saw a smile on his sons face and a twinkle in his eyes. The boy blurted out excitedly, "God must be very smart to make the world so beautiful".

The father then felt a lump in the back of his throat and a tear of pride on his left cheek. His 7 year old son had just grasped what so many people fail to grasp.

He turned to his son, rubbed him gently on his back, kissed his sons forehead and simply said "Yes He is smart".

As the father stood up his child gently slipped his hand into his father's hand.

Together they walked towards the rainbow.

"We are God's Rainbow,
Where there is Diversity there is Beauty"

Kevin Heath – More4kids Inc.

Religion And Your Child – Keeping The Faith

More4kids Inc. — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 21:25:48 +0000

By Michelle Donaghey

Every week whether it is a Sunday, Wednesday or another day set aside for religious services, parents everywhere often hear those words after telling their children to get ready for mass, service, temple or synagogue.

It doesn’t matter what your faith is or what your religious upbringing may have been like. Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jewish, every parent takes on the responsibility of helping a child or children in their faith journey which often is met with resistance.

But how exactly should a parent help them as they grow, instilling in them a need to find their higher power and make a connection for life without using guilt-tripping tactics?

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it"

Learn more about your faith

Training a child from toddler years up to teens is not easy. But it is made even harder when a parent or parents do not even really know their own faith themselves.

In order to know and practice your faith within your family, you may need to do some studying yourselves, especially if you have not kept up through teaching children at your church, synagogue or temple. “For many parents, Jewish learning began and ended with Hebrew school. Given the richness, breadth and complexity of Jewish knowledge, learning about Judaism as adults is immensely rewarding because we have the intellectual sophistication and life experience to appreciate heritage,” said Rabbi Patricia Heller, Ph.D., “And You Shall Teach Your Children, reprinted with permission from Raising Jewish Kids, a Making Connections Home Study Kit, by Jewish Outreach Partnership, www.jopp.org.

Rabbi Heller pointed out that adult education is not only available at synagogues, but at community centers, universities and museums. Other faiths have similar programs. Contacting your pastor, priest, or Sunday school teachers who may be able to help you out.

Decide what is important to you as a family

When you learn and review your faith and how you worship, especially its rituals and traditions, review with your spouse what is of particular importance to you. Remember that your younger children will not understand many theological concepts of your faith, but they will develop their faith through words and actions and conversations with you and your husband/wife.

Think about why you stayed with your faith and its traditions. Think about what things that touched you as a child- maybe you remember Ash Wednesday, Sunday School or songs that brought good feelings? What about Sunday Mass or service? Did you feel disconnected as a child and why? Maybe you would have liked a livelier service? Or maybe a more active youth group? Exploring your feelings can help you to understand what may work and what may not work with your child or children.

Sometimes it may mean that you look for a church of the same denomination in another town that has more to offer your family and its’ spiritual growth. Many make the mistake of thinking they need to stay with a particular church because of its’ proximity to their home. Often this can cause a child to grow up in a church he or she knows the family doesn’t feel totally a part of. Before deciding on a church out of town, be sure to talk to your pastor/priest/rabbi about your needs and concerns. They are always open to hearing from you!

Teaching your child how to worship

Going to church, temple or synagogue with children is very much different than the days you go as a newly married couple with none. Remember that children do not have the attention span adults do, especially as toddlers. Most religious leaders realize this if they wish to keep the flock coming every week.

“While it’s hard, you may have to realize that you will not be able to listen to every part of the service. Remember always, to teach your child the way to go, you have to take them there. You have to be the one to do it. Remember, the stage will pass,” said Reverend Susan Sickelka, a pastor from the First United Church of Christ. Many church leaders realize that parents often worry about how much noise their children make which is often not noticed as much as they think. “People are very occupied. Parents worry way to much about it. We encourage them to keep the children in worship as much as they can. While baby cries and toddlers talking can be distracting, we remember that Jesus welcomed little ones,” said .

Whatever your faith is, encourage your child to be involved. Give them a hymn book or let them pass the collection place or put in money. Try to teach them some of the songs so they can sing along. Purchase a children’s Bible or a prayer book so they can follow along. Sit up front so you can explain what is going on. Children who are two years old or younger may need to go in the nursery or in the baby/cry room if there is one available. Don’t berate yourself for doing it, either. Children of this age do not have the capacity to understand yet! If your church offers a Sunday service or Mass for children, take advantage of it and attend.

Discuss what the pastor or priest talked about right after church/synagogue. What was good? What touched you? Let your child tell their aunt or grandma what they learned. They will feel proud as well as have a connection to their faith by repeating it! They will also be more likely to listen the next time they attend!

The rest of the week

Mimi Doe, a writer on Spiritual parenting and a mother, feels that parents need to help their child connect regularly with their Higher Power.

“Spiritual parenting is not limited to any one religion; it is not limited to one set of beliefs. My goal in spiritual parenting is to encourage and support my own children’s connection with a loving God. Why? Because I feel that connection is an every available, always support system to my kids. God can be whatever they need God to be at whatever time. God won’t tell, God is always there, whether they are at a sleepover, or feeling left out at the cafeteria,” says Doe.

Help your children realize, too, that they have a connection to their faith outside of the building where they attend services, mass, synagogue or temple.

“As a family, write a letter to your pastor, thanking him for the ways he serves the parish. Do you like the way he stays to mingle with the people? Did the words at First Communion Mass or a funeral touch your heart,” notes the Saint Francis Seminary, Center for Ministerial Formation for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Other ideas from the seminary are good for encouraging family unity as well as faith connection.

Use Scripture as a starting point for family discussion around the dinner table. You can also as a family select a service project to do each month. This could be volunteering at church or a social service function such as a soup kitchen, visiting a nursing home or raking leaves for a neighbor.”

Remember that if possible you should start early in helping your child find their spiritual connection. “You must begin early in helping them to understand who they are as children of God and what their identity means to them spiritually. Seeing themselves as God sees them is the most important perception your children will ever have. If your kids don’t find their identity in Christ, they will find it in the world,” said Neil Anderson of Freedom in Christ Ministries, crosswalk.com.

Biography

Michelle Donaghey is a freelance writer and mother of two boys, Chris and Patrick, who are her inspiration. She lives in Bremen, Indiana just south of South Bend, home of Notre Dame. When she isn't writing, Michelle can be found in her perennial flower garden or working on small home improvement projects. Michelle has written for parenting publications including Metro Kids, Atlanta Parent,Dallas Child, Great Lakes Family, Family Times and Space Coast Parent and websites including iparenting.com.