So many parents are juggling a million different job titles right now. Teacher, tech support, employee, spouse, parent, cleaner, personal chef, best friend and the list goes on.

How many of us are thinking “how on earth can I do all this, let alone add anything else in?” 

Making sure faith is a part of my child’s everyday life has felt a little like adding another straw  to the camel’s back. Thinking of ways to try and do this between home schooling, working, trying to make sure the floor is visible and feeding my child a thousand snacks seems almost impossible.

It’s very easy to feel guilty but equally feel unable to do anything about it. 

But the good news is, there are so many things that many of us as parents do to instil faith without even realising it. How many of us listen to worship music in the house or the car? Do you have a devotional time in the day? Do you log on to church on a Sunday, or discuss Sunday’s message at the dinner table? Are bedtime prayers a part of your children’s routine?

I have to remember that raising faith in our children is about the everyday moments, the things that are just a part of ordinary life. 

Not just the big family devotional session or the longer conversations about God with your children. It’s the small prayers said out loud, letting them see you reading the Bible, or telling God that you’re finding life hard.

The same applies in this time of lockdown parenting when we don’t have the same support. When our children are not able to see friends or family members, can we find a different way of helping them connect? When we can’t attend church can we still find ways to talk to the wider church family? 

Let me encourage you to look at these ideas and be encouraged if there are things you are already doing, and perhaps be inspired to pick one that could easily slot into your day to day life.

Pray, Pray, Pray!

• This might be praying around the breakfast table to start the day
• Pray where your children can see and hear you.
• Pray for help when you or your children are having trouble something like school work and include them in it.
• Pray to end the day and try to each thank God for something

Questions spark conversation

• Try asking a question about creation and nature whilst on a walk together
• Ask a question at a meal time, it can be serious or silly! What was God thinking when he created anteaters? Or is there someone finding life hard that we can pray for at the moment? 
• Talk about a Bible story that involves water at bath time.

Explore the Bible

• Could your day start by reading or talking about a Bible story?
• If a schedule for school work is something that you do for your family, you could add in time each day to explore the Bible.
• On Sunday during online church could they create a story from the Bible with Lego, Play Doh or some of their favourite toys? Or maybe build it on Minecraft? 
• How about leaving your Bible open somewhere that your children can see it?
• Pick a verse together and write it out, have them decorate it for you put up around the house.
• For older kids why not set a monthly memory verse challenge?

We are all doing our best, some days these ideas will work and others they won’t. Some parents will find one idea works really works for their family, and for others it really won’t! Do what suits your family, and remember to be kind to yourself.

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