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jillian
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| Posted: June 16 2010 at 11:07am | IP Logged
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DD is 2 1/2 but definitely understands way more than we give her credit for. How do you approach our Faith with the younger set? We try our hardest to make it to Mass every week and try to live the Faith in our daily lives but I'm looking for some other ways of making it fun for dd and increase her understanding
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 16 2010 at 11:29am | IP Logged
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some lovely age appropriate books would be great.. about saints or about the faith etc.
oh and I found getting some music on cd that my kids would hear at Mass to be fun. They would be delighted to hear a song they knew at Mass and that would help them stay engaged in what was going on.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 16 2010 at 9:00pm | IP Logged
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How about starting your own picture book of saints? If you have holy cards lying around, she could help you paste them into a little album, and you could tell her briefly about each saint.
I think having religious prints and pictures around the house is so helpful, too- then kids grow up just surrounded by and immersed in our faith and feel very comfortable there.
Saints coloring pages are also something she could do- not perfectly, but that's fine at 2!
She might like to have her own "church purse" with a wooden rosary and maybe a handkerchief angel doll to take to mass.
Also, it is fun to go "visit Jesus". Head to church and say hello to Jesus in the tabernacle, walk around and look at all the stained glass windows, the pictures of the priests and the Pope, look at the flowers, light a candle. My dc love to do this with me... they are especially interested in lighting candles and seeing what kind of flowers Mary has each week. They also like to stop in and say hi to the church secretary, and of course are thrilled when they see their favorite priest in the hall.
I try to make this a fun thing for them... I'll say, "We have to go to Target today for dog food, and then... IF YOU ARE GOOD in the store, we can stop at church and light some candles and say hi to Jesus..."
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 17 2010 at 10:10pm | IP Logged
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Example is the biggest component at this age. Let your daughter see you and dh pray, read religious books, attend Mass, etc. Talk about the Faith in the open.
Then do religious devotions together, like visiting Jesus in the tabernacle, praying for the dead when passing cemeteries, sign of the cross when passing Church, blessing before meals, night prayers.
When she wakes up in the morning, point to the crucifix and a picture of Mary and say "Good morning to Jesus and Mary." Talk out loud in spontaneous prayers together.
It's never too young to start with books, like Jodie mentioned.
And hymns and Gregorian chant, start being familiar, sing at home, play cds.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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guitarnan
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| Posted: June 17 2010 at 11:00pm | IP Logged
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If you can find copies of the 20 (I think) issues of Catholic Treasure Box, they make great read-alouds at this age (the main stories, not everything) and there are some fun poems about virtues that young children really enjoy, too. You can add in some of the other stories as your dd gets older.
They are expensive ($5 or so per issue...ouch) but they are traditional and lovely. (Ask people to give you an issue for a Christmas gift, perhaps.)
A nice children's Bible would be another great gift idea - not a big, thick one, but one geared toward, say, ages 3 to 6, with some nice illustrations. Bible stories fascinate young children (and you can print out coloring pages to go with them!). I still remember my mom reading to me from our children's Bible, and I so loved the beautiful full-page illustrations. Later I could read the stories to myself, which was also very nice.
Here's another vote for music CDs, too. Three out of the four of us are involved in music ministry, and we've got all kinds of CDs here. I play them in my car - and now dd's children's choir has practice CDs, so she plays them...Exposing your daughter to beautiful music will help her appreciate it later in life.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Teaching the Faith to a Preschooler
