Hello dear readers! As it just so happens, my reason for writing this article is the very thing that has kept me away for so long – my daughter, Lucia.
Now what in the world do I have to write about her that concerns passing on the Faith? Sneaky ways of doing it, of course!
Here are some clever ways to pass on the Faith to your children, which you can start as early as their infancy:
1: Play them sacred music to help them go to sleep.
To be honest, my husband and I discovered this one out of sheer desperation to get her to calm down at night for bedtime. Turns out, Gregorian chant = instant baby lullaby. There is something soothing about the music that Lucia LOVES and will instantly calm down for. It also instills an appreciation of sacred music early on in your child’s life! An unintended, hilarious side effect of this trick is that if you attend a mass where sacred music is used frequently, your baby will be the best behaved kid in the building because they will be calm and/or out like a light thanks to the chant.
2: Get your baby a teething rosary.
I kid you not, these things exist, and they are miraculous (at least to parents of a teething child). They are a properly constructed rosary, with all the proper beads and accents, but made out of a strong, chew-able material that will be soothing to your baby (and not a choking hazard). This rosary will last you a LONG time, due its solid construction, and is very affordable. Check out the link to the product, made by “Chews Life” (pun fully intended, I assume): HERE. They also make Miraculous Medal pacifier clips!
You may consider getting it blessed, but ask your priest for his opinion first, since your child will be going to town on it with their gums.
3. Read to your child books about the lives of the saints.
This cannot be recommended enough: read to your child about the Faith! This is also very effective for Catechesis at a young age. Your children will love the stories of saints, and they will learn the Faith over the many bedtime reading sessions that you will have. Here are some of the books that I recommend, but please do your own research as well:
“My Golden Book of Saints:” HERE.
“My First Catechism:” HERE.
“The Holy Rosary:” HERE.
I also recommend pretty much anything by St. Joseph’s Children’s Books. There is a wide variety of books to choose from, and your children will love them, whether they can read on their own already or not.
These are just some ways to pass on the Faith to your children, but please let me know of any other clever ways that you have found in the comments below!
Many thanks for your patience, and I hope that this helps.
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Interesting. I never knew rosary beads to come in a form like that for babies.
What a completely totally adorable baby! Wow! She really is something. I love the idea of starting young with sacred music, and also I had not seen baby rosary teethers either.