I have a dive buddy who has been Catechizing his daughter since she was still in her mommies womb. Yes, the infant in the womb hears the father's voice (See previous articles). My friend is a pastor who lives in Texas now. His pregnant wife sat church and heard the Word preached so did his daughter!!! Every Sunday daddy put the Word of God into his daughter's ears and it continued even after her birth. When my friend was pastor of a church in Southern California I would go over to his house for lunch or dinner and hear his 2 year old daughter pray and sing blessings over the meals. She had learned parts of the small Catechism and she was saying them at the table. She's been memorizing the Small Catechism and scriptures. He is training his daughter.
The reason I bring up my friends ways of parenting is because I am seeing the results of what he is doing and I like it. I, on the other hand, have not been so diligent in teaching my son. Now, my son is 15 and it is a bit of an up hill battle to teach him. I think it would have been better to teach my son when he was younger.
Fathers, I'd advocate reading scriptures and the Small Catechism to the kids when they are still in the womb. You will form a habit and through out their lives they will be hearing the scriptures. It will make it easier on you and them to learn about Jesus.
Two more things I've learned along the way: (1) I don't expect the child to just know stuff after just one telling. I have learned that there are years of telling. The goal is for the child to know when he is grown up. You are preparing him for adulthood. (2) I have learned not to be too anxious about stuff regarding my child. It's not for me to be anxious and fretting. That tends to be more of a mother thing.
Fathers, I am not saying all of this as law or as a wagging finger. I want to pass this stuff along as stuff I've learned along the way. It's stuff I haven't done well and stuff I am still learning. It's stuff taught to me by a company of men.
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2 comments:
I like it!
You were doing something right when your son was younger. Maybe not catechesis, but other stuff. And that will be good soil for the catechesis to land in.
When I taught Catechism to a young student, I saw the wisdom of what you're saying. We're planting stuff in that may take a long time to take root. And anxiety won't help it along. I don't want to see this turn into more of a mother thing. And it requires some good discussions like this, as so much that we've seen done in church has that mother anxiety about it.
Thanks Solarblogger. I think the men need to support each other in the father role like has happened on Saturday nights.
I think I have done somethings right, too. I think the men have support the hell out of me and my son regularly. I also think that where I've erred my son has been able to bounce and be resilient.
I am going tonight to do battle, or so I am gearing up for, with his mom over what church he goes until Pastor Ron completes his series on Luther's small Catechism.
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