The running joke is that Catholics have a prayer for everything... and it's true! We are blessed with a rich treasury of rote prayers that assist us in all moments of life. We have prayers for the major moments (like death) and the minor moments (like when we lose our keys). The liturgical rhythm of the Church includes a myriad of traditional prayers upon which the seasons of our life are patterned.
A great joy and duty we have as parents is to teach our children their prayers. What a gift it is that we get to hand onto them the language with which to speak to Our Lord!
How to Teach Children Their Prayers
If you're looking for ways to teach children their Catholic prayers in a way that will engage their hearts, try some of the ideas below!
Repetition
The most important key in children learning their prayers is repetition. Praying the prayer you want them to learn over and over again is the best way for the child to learn it.
Consider having them repeat after you line-by-line at times!
Put it to Song
In the vein of repetition, musical memory options are ideal. Find a musical version of a Catholic prayer you like and play that while your child is getting ready for the day, while you're driving in the car, or before bedtime.
Use Visuals
One of my favorite ways to teach my children their prayers is by doing so alongside sacred art. The captivation of their imagination allows them to make deeper connections with the prayers. I use these prayer cards because the sacred art actual catechizes about the prayer being learned.
Pray in Different Settings
Allow your child to see that these prayers are appropriate anywhere and everywhere! Prayer time stretches beyond church and home. You can pray before practice or a game, pray after a hike, or pray while on your way to play date!
Delight in Prayer
Finally, our children will benefit from learning their prayers when they witness us delighting in them! If these rote prayers seem like a burden, they will be less inclined to employ them. If the prayers are a delight to us, our children will witness what a joy and consolation these prayers can be for their whole lives.
Relationship, Not Performance
Ultimately, we want to teach our children their prayers because it nurtures their relationship with God, not because we only want to check a box.
When we keep that motivation in mind, the atmosphere will be well-suited for long-term memory and devotion.
What tips do you have for parents teaching their children Catholic prayers?
Ready to dive deeper?
Here are 4 ways to fill your nets...
1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses
2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how.
3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you.
4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!
