What age do you teach your kids about religion?

It is better to teach kids at an early age. Not actually the whole teachings of your religion and beliefs,but,just let the kids knows the true God that they must worship. This is the hardest part for growing children,the religions differences. Just taught them the good deeds and moral values,and i am sure,your kids will choose the better path to praise GOD. Have a nice day always friend

I think you can begin to teach them about such things as soon as they can listen to and enjoy simple stories. Traditional tales (both Hindu, Christian and European 'fairy' tales such as 'The Sleeping Beauty' or 'Snow White' and many others) can instil basic values. There are also simple Bible stories written for children which are suitable. Children should first be taught basic values: really to respect and care for other people is the first and most basic lesson. Traditional stories often carry this message in one way or another, though many people these days think them silly and childish tales. Actually, they have survived so long BECAUSE they teach basic messages in an entertaining and familiar way (and many of them weren't really children's stories at all but something that everyone enjoyed, just as we enjoy films and television 'soap operas' today). I think you need to find the places where Hindu values agree with Christian values so that your children grow to respect both traditions and religions and (importantly) to reject or belittle neither. The many Hindu gods are really equivalent to the way that many of the saints are revered in the Catholic tradition and serve a similar purpose. Really both the Hindu gods and the Saints are a way of understanding a God who is too much for the human mind to understand as a whole. When Christian missionaries first arrived in Britain, they found that the local people worshipped many gods. They did not simply say that these gods were 'wrong' or 'of the devil': they blessed them and turned them into 'saints' and the old sacred places were 'Christianised' and churches built where the old shrines were. There was a second wave of Christianity in Britain that taught that all of the old things were 'devil worship' but that was destructive rather than constructive and it is the older, Celtic parts of Britain which have a deeper and more spiritual feeling. I am sure that you will find many parallels in the stories and characters of the Hindu gods and the many stories of the Christian saints. If a Christian cannot accept her husband's Hindu traditions as being anything of value (or even, perhaps, to be of less value than her Christian teaching), how will she teach her children to respect all peoples, whatever their belief? And how can she (really) respect her husband if she feels that being a Catholic is 'better' than being a Hindu?

When do you teach them what is good or what is bad? Whenever they are able to understand something, in the same time you can make it practice. For us Muslims it is a way of life, not something done only in Mosque or Church. Peace.

I think kindergarten might be a good age to start. You could expose your children to both religions and let them make the choice. I've seen couples raising children in two religions. It's up to you and your partner.

Children seem to have an instinctual understanding or connection to God. I think talking about God or exposing them to religion can start very early. I once wrote a discussion about a lot of churches not encouraging small children at their services and actually asking parents to leave them in the church nursery. But personally I believe it is very natural to bring children to church for short services. This starts to formally introduce them to the idea of God. When I was young I wanted to know more about God. My mother didnot attend church at this time and I wanted to connect with a higher spirit so I joined the neighborhood chuch by myself. This shows how children do have a curiosity about God. Eventually my mom started attending the church with me. Even if you and your husband have different religious beliefs, you both believe in God. So you can start with just talking about God and not religion. Good luck to your family. I am sure it will work out fine.

I have taught my four year old about the different religions but i dont have any intention of him believing in any of it. I am an atheist and so is my sons father although i was brought up as a catholic. I dont think that religion has any place in my sons life and i think he should be concentrating on getting a good education and a good job. I f he decides when he is older that he wants to follow a religion then he may do so i would never try to stop him but at this moment he is only four and at that age i think religion is a way of brain washing children rather than giving them a choice. Saying that i do believe that he must know about the different religions and cultures so that he understands about them and respects them like myself and his father does.

You don't need to do any formal teaching until they get a little older, but make sure you keep God in your home and let them grow up knowing that God is our creator and the center of our universe. Say little things like, "God is love" and say prayers with them. As they get older, become more detailed in what you tell them. You and your husband really need to resolve the issue of religion so that you'll know where to take your children to church.

If I'm a dad, I will start to teach my kids about religion when they are 6 years old. Most children will enter school during 5 years old. When they had explore to the outside world, it is the suitable time to teach them about religion. Start to teach them about the basic knowledge of religion. I will let them know why human need belief, and how if we have belief. I will try to persuade them to join those religion activities for children.

For me from the start even if in womb of her mother.

Hi ruchimom,Well for me,teaching religion to my kids,begins as early as 2- 3 years old.At that age they can start understands little by little.It is really important to teach our kids about religion,so that as they grow older they will become a god fearing person.Thanks,God Bless!

i started teaching my kids the prayer "Our Father" when they were about 3 years old. although they don't understand yet the words (i taught them the english version not the one in our local tongue, which should be Filipino), it's already automatic with them when it's time to pray, though my 4 year old can't recite them properly haha (he can't speak fluently yet). i think it's important they should learn at the earliest possible time... :)

I agree with some opinions on this forum. That should teach children about religion, should start from early on, rather than waiting later he was growing up. Teaching young children more easily than adults, because children love imitating her father's behavior. While adult children, they already have their own views, their own will, so they are more like what they see, they think, what they think is best according to their own. Whether it's to embrace religion as you (Catholic), or join his mother's religion (Hinduism), or other religion, no problem. But a more severe if the child does not embrace a particular religion, which means an atheist who does not know the existence of God. This is clearly dangerous, because humans can not live without God. Who gave them air to breathe, who gives them the strength to survive. By acknowledging the existence of God through religion, a person's behavior will be more focused, and people were able to control him to do things better, more respect and help each other. Is not boast, have a good-hearted boy, loves to help friends or relatives, and the first and foremost: to love God above all else in the world? This is my personal opinion. Thanks.

Never teach about religion, but rather teach them not to focus only on a certain religion, their relationship with God and fellow men should be the main foundation. Religion creates a lot of doubt and conflicts, it is hard for them to understand at a very young age, let them grow to explore by themselves. For now just teach them how to pray and to be good at all times.

I think there is no age too early to teach kids about the dignity and respect of all religions. If you are talking about taking them to church, I might want to wait until they know not to cry in public....

I have a question: when you married your Hindu lover, did you guys ever thought of this exact situation coming in your life eventually when you have kids? I assume you did because that's a pretty tough decision to make NOW instead of then when the kids weren't there yet and you had all the time in the world to debate on the matter. It's a valid question I believe because it's one of the things that people consider before diving into a relationship where the participants have different sets of beliefs and principles. It's also the reason why Catholics do not accept marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian. To answer your question though, I'd rely on my personal experience when I was a child (because I am not a mother). I believe that I was taught the sign of the cross by the age of 3, and I knew how to pray by the age of 4. Those were the building blocks of my faith.

Hi ruchi mom: at this moment i think you should start thinking with your husband in what aspects you have in common in your religions to share with your kids. I would think about 5 years old as a good age to start explaining your personal beleives and at the same time to your husband explain in what he beleives. I don't think this would be like a competition, it's just the way your kids will learn the differences points of his parents as something normal. I think it's find that they explore both the way you practice your religion and the way you husband practici his religion. Thanks for asking this question. I found it really difficult to answer that. Have a nice day. -Alvaro.