Tips for Praying with your Preschooler

Attitude of Prayer

Traditionally, children have been taught to be quiet, bow their head and close their eyes when someone is praying.   However, many times children do not understand why.  At Little Footprints, we teach the children that we bow our head and close our eyes so we don’t get distracted or distract someone else.  But we don’t stop there.  We then tell them that they can talk to God anywhere, with their eyes open or closed, heads bowed or looking to the heavens.  The most important thing to remember is that God loves us and wants us to talk to him.

Prayers of Thankfulness

Mealtime is the perfect opportunity to teach your preschooler to express an attitude of thankfulness.  As soon as your child is old enough to sit in a high chair at the dinner table, you can easily include them in a time of thanksgiving for the food by holding hands around the table and saying a simple prayer.  As children approach two years old, they will progress from holding your hand and listening to repeating a few words of what you have said or adding something else for you to include in your prayer.

Bedtime is another great opportunity to teach your preschooler to thank God for the blessings of the day.  As you prepare to put your child to bed, say a simple prayer thanking God for all He has done for you and your child that day.  As your child becomes verbal, ask what he would like to thank God for.  Encourage him to talk to God and say thank you.  You will quickly find that our children often remind us of the blessings we have taken for granted.

Although these tips have worked for my family, you may have found a different way to share your faith with your chid.  What have you found that works for you and your family?