Talking to our kids about God

“And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 11:19

We desire talking about God to come naturally for our children – a simple and eager expression of themselves as they grow in understand of Him.

However, talking about God aloud has never come very naturally for me because I tend to ramble (I am much better when I can write and edit my thoughts!). Sometimes I over complicate things. I feel like I lack the proper “kid language” for these “big concepts.”

Why can’t we see God?

Where is the soul?

Why do I need to do right?

Why do we pray? 

Spiritual development has become a bigger part of our days, now that our oldest is three and a half and is understanding and questioning his world.

He goes back and forth from loving to pray before meals and bedtime, to being very self-conscious about praying aloud. We let him move at his comfort level, and model our faith for him to see. I don’t think he really grasps the concept of an invisible God right now, but he does enjoy prayer time overall.

I’m always looking for resources to bring spiritual discussions home to children on a simple and accessible level. Like the books I received compliments of Graham Blanchard Publishing. Their supportive materials for parents about sharing God with young children have helped me introduce spiritual concepts clearly for our son.

Four new titles come out this October 2013 which I got to preview, and they each lend a hand in teaching Christian principles to very young children.

Each book in the “Knowing My God” series written by Callie Grant shares directly quoted scripture and then includes colorful photos and supportive text. There’s also a section at the back with tips for the grown-up reader. I really appreciated the connection between Creation and getting to know God. These books will bring the concept of God into sharp focus for small ones.

Jesus Shows Me illustrates a segment of John 15:9-14 with a photo of an animal parent caring for its young, which shows kids how God loves people.

Jesus Invites Me is the second book in the “Knowing My God” series by Jodie Stowe, and explains Matthew 11:28-30, in which Jesus calls people to learn from him and to follow him. Children are invited to explore what a response to God looks like in their lives.

All of Me that You Can’t See depicts a child living out how the unseen parts of himself – heart, mind, strength, soul – grow along with his physical body. This illustrated rhyme invites the child reader to become aware of his or her own spiritual self. This book was my personal favorite because I have never seen a book about “the soul” for such small readers.

Mud Puddle Hunting Day is an adventurous story of a young girl’s splashy walk in the rain. With detailed illustrations and a light-hearted text, it teaches young hearts to praise God for life’s small wonders and enjoy God’s amazing world.

Each book retails for $8.99 and they will also be available as E-books!

How do you share spiritual concepts with very young children? I would be interested to hear any tips you might have!

WIN IT: One reader wins a set of these new books (not released yet!)! ARV $36. Enter in the Rafflecopter form below.
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Thanks to Graham Blanchard for providing copies for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.