Classing yourself as spiritual but
not religious, there are ways to help your child express their
spirituality. Without the framework and teachings of a religion, how
can you best impart your good values to your children? Spiritual
beliefs can vary, but here are some steps to help your child develop
spiritually, by focusing on fundamental principles of being a
spiritual person through experience, rather than learning a religion.
Turn Off the TV and The Game Console
Aim: Detachment from mass media
influence.
This is the only step that involves
taking something away. We all know why. But don't take the TV and
games console away completely, they wont be pleased, just limit it at
first – enough to tempt your child away. They'll thank you later.
Removal of the media will do wonders for your relationship with your
children, and you get to spend some quality time with them. Too much
mass media exposure causes kids to grow up with materialistic and
narcissistic illusions. Life isn't really like that. Let's show them
what life should be about.
Getting Back To Nature
Aim: Reconnecting with mother Earth.
Show your child the importance of the
planet that gives us life. If we don't take care of it, there is no
life. Go on a nature trail, look online at parks to visit, or take a
trip to the country – even if just for the afternoon. The seaside
too is good. Take a bucket, and start collecting things. Leaves,
twigs, bugs, snails, shiny pebbles, tree bark and more. Supervision
for toxic substances is required, but that goes without saying. Take
a bird, butterfly or plant book with you to spot wildlife. Look for
animal tracks. Take a walk in a natural environment and your kids
will love it. You can even visit a fruit growing farm and pick fruit.
Get out in the garden, turn over the
flower bed, get some new plants and dig them in. Buy some seeds,
plant them and watch your kids marvel over the new growth. They can
feel proud that they gave life to those plants. Prune a tree, pick
some flowers, do some weeding. All things that get the kids out in
the fresh air, becoming one with nature.
Kids naturally respond to these
activities, because they are young they can reconnect with nature
more easily as they have been exposed to less social, economic and
political conditioning. Help them to understand that as everything in
nature is made from life giving energy, so too are they, and that
they and nature are one in the same. A natural respect for the
natural world will arise.
Meeting Animals
Aim: Understanding that all life
originates from the one source. That animals are like us, just not
quite as advanced.
If you have pets, great. Take the dog
for a special trip to a new park, clean out the rabbit and give it
treats. Cuddle the cat. Your children of course would love to go to
the zoo or aquarium. Take a real interest in the mammals, birds, fish
and so on. There's usually plenty of information resources at these
venues, so learn about the animals. Showing a real interest in the
animals helps to reaffirm the importance of animals to your children.
Marvel at their colors, shapes and behaviors. Express love for the
animals because children and animals are souls pure of heart, they
can connect easily. Expressing love by petting the cat or cuddling
the dog, cultivates the giving and receiving of the all-important
energy vibration of love. That which this planet needs most
desperately.
Learning To Share
Aim: Fostering unity, generosity and
mutual support.
Activities that reinforce concepts of
sharing are great for fostering spiritual ideas of love and unity. As
we are all one, all originating from the same universal source, we
need to work together in unity for the betterment of humanity.
Therefore sharing tasks with peers helps to instil these ideas. Take
the example of fruit picking – after picking the fruit, have the
children divide it up equally between themselves, and to a neighbor,
family friend or other person you think could benefit from it.
Alternatively, you could make a cake, grow some seedlings, or make
some Christmas decorations. Ask your child to share them by keeping
some for themselves, and removing a portion to give to others.
Helping Others
Aim: To create positive polarity
We are either 'service to self' or
'service to others' orientated, or somewhere in between. Practicing helping others, helps us to polarize positively, facilitating the spirit's advancement and evolution toward higher stages of existence. There are lots
of ways to help others. Take the kids to grandma's house and help to
cook her a meal. Doing some chores for others can be fun when kids
know they're doing it to help others. Children naturally want to
please and help-out given the chance. Visit a charity or home for the
elderly and ask how you can help. There may well be tasks that
children can get involved in. For example, doing a summer cake sale
event or a fun-run to raise money for charity.
Hold a Party or Get Together
Aim: Attracting love and light
Have family, friends and other children round for a meal, barbecue or little get-together. Many families do
not socialize as a family unit to a great extent, but the more people
around a child showing care and friendship the better. Even if you
just invite a few of the children's friends around to play a bit more
often, the happiness and friendship helps to raise the energy
vibration for the children and they will in turn be much happier.
These activities show the importances of sharing love and friendship
with others, including extended family, friends and acquaintances.
Caring for Our World
Aim: To foster environmental stability.
To help your child understand that the
Earth is to be protected and not destroyed, teach them about
recycling, water and energy conservation, reusing items and other
environmentally friendly activities. This instills notions that could
protect our world for future generations.
Caring for Your Body
Aim: To respect your body
It's necessarily to keep our
mind/body/spirit complex healthy and balanced, and a good place to
start is the physical body. A regular non-strenuous exercise routine,
perhaps a half hour walk or ball game in the park every day, will
help your child adopt a healthier lifestyle into adulthood. Teach
about healthy eating too using the myriad of resources found online.
Meditation
Aim: To add meditation to the daily
routine from the start of life
Meditation is essential for calming the
mind, keeping the mind/body/spirit complex healthy and in balance,
and for accessing infinite cosmic energy facilitating spiritual
development. Meditation can be started from any age, so long as the
child is able to sit quietly. One minute per number of years old is a
good rule of thumb. Your 7 year old should be able to sit in silence,
eyes closed and perfectly still for 7 minutes. Or at least they can
try! Explain the purpose of this is to keep our mind, body and spirit
balanced throughout life, and that meditation should ideally be practiced every day.
Make Something
Aim: Departing for consumerism
To combat the constant onslaught of
mass media pressure to purchase goods, let your child know that
creating something yourself is far more valuable. Little or no money
need be spent. Make a cake, some bread, a meal, an Easter bonnet, a
rocket from a bottle, a robot from a box, do some sewing, paint on
canvas, embroider, create a collage with glue, bit and bobs – you
can make pretty much anything! And it's all the more special for it.
Drawing and Talking
Aim: To raise and answer questions
All people should respect other
people's faith, so long as no harm is being done. Instead of applying
your views to your child, you may want them to explore their own
truths for themselves. Use drawing as a way to help. Ask you child to
draw what they think 'heaven' looks like or something else spiritual
of a positive nature. In this way, your child can explore their own
imagination. Answer any questions they have as far as you deem
appropriate, and as fully as you see fit. You can also encourage self
exploration of ideas by bouncing questions back – 'I understand
your question but what do you think the answer is?'
To summarize, the underlying notions here are:
learning to be a decent person, to be respectful of others, nature,
and the Earth, to be able to give and receive friendship and work
together, to help others and show kindness, to take care of the self
and be freely creative. If a spiritual exploration helps children to
grow up in an a thoroughly enriching environment, then it can only be
a good thing. Do what you feel is right and appropriate, and know
that you are an amazing parent to facilitate such things.
How to Help Your Child Develop Spiritually - Video Version
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How to Help Your Child Develop Spiritually - Video Version
Subscribe to Spiritual-Awakening.net on YouTube