Nurturing children’s spirituality
If we can guide them from an early age
Then they won’t need to be middle age to know…
Many of the answers come from within!
Many of us seek enlightenment or the spiritual path when we tire of consumerism and seek nourishment for our soul. Not surprisingly, it is usually when we hit the age of 40+ that we start to seek spirituality or question ourselves on Why am I here’? What is living in the now? What is my spirit and who am I really? What do I want from life?…and on and on it goes.
Yet, If we keep the minds of our children open to spirituality, they can only but show the trait we would hope to see in ourselves: love, compassion and service; honesty and authenticity; physical, emotional, mental and spiritual clarity; wisdom and understanding; responsibility and discipline; tolerance and patience; serenity and personal freedom; faith, trust and inner security; gratitude, humility and willingness; hope, happiness, joy, and humour; connection with the earth, nature and everyday life; living in the present moment or in the now; a sense of wonder and reverence to life; a sense of purpose and place in the universe. Why wouldn’t we want this for our children and ourselves?
However, when we seek to, or learn to live a spiritual life we are learning to look inside of ourselves. Inside of us we find our ‘true self’ or ‘spirit’. Our spirit is the source of our happiness, self-confidence, power, and guidance. ‘Our spirit is the true self’.
Children take us back and forth on the continuum of discovery. When we nurture the secret spiritual world of children we may understand our own greatest challenge, the secret unfolding of our spiritual selves.
Dr. Mollie Painton is a nationally recognized lecturer on play therapy and the spirituality of children. Over the past thirty years Dr. Painton has worked with spiritual boys and girls from diverse populations. In the role of friend, confidante, and helper it has become clear to her that all children are at least potentially spiritual, while many are astonishingly gifted. Her compelling and unique book ‘Encouraging Your Children’s Spiritual Intelligence’ highlights that:
Spiritual kids are:
· Messengers of love to the world / Intimate with “truth”
· Wise beyond their ages and experiences
· Healers mending the wounds of loss, judgment, abuse, hate, indifference, disease, and violence
· Determined to unite all in love and peace
· Sensitive individuals with open hearts & minds
· Seeking to find one another
· Compassionate beings who feel the pain of others
· Hungering for a sense of belonging with all people
· Graced by the loving presence of spiritual companions, such as angels and others / Refreshingly honest in their perspective on death
· Blessed with God-given gifts of intuition and ability to see beyond the ordinary
· Astounding teachers with healing messages
· In need of the support of spiritual partners
The first step in nurturing the Spirituality of our Children?
There is a plethora of literature, DVD’s and even movies for adults seeking enlightenment or spiritual awakening however children’s literature has traditionally centered on two types of tales and legends – Folklore and the Biblical Tradition. The real intent behind revealing children to these tales was never truly for entertainment, but as part of their moral education. Their subject matter was carefully restricted to match the ethos of the day and many were considered didactic and preachy.
Times have changed however - with the shift away from the traditional view to a more open-minded spiritual exploration of the various ways of living one’s life in harmony. Finally parents are seeking and finding entertaining and enlightning stories that are exposing spiritual grounding or awareness and these are helping children develop a much healthier balance of mind, body and spirit enabling them to respond better to life’s challenges.
In America and the United Kingdom ‘Spiritual’ or ‘New Age’ children’s books are in as much demand, as ‘New Age’ adult reading material and the trend continues in Australia. The classification ‘New Age’ brings interesting connotations to some however it primarily means ‘a belief in oneself’ and it can signify a religious book yet with a greater focus on the spiritual and with less emphasis on diety.
Children’s spiritual books can readily be described as ‘reading about the sacred in everyday life - in nature, at home, in the classroom, at work, at leisure, in relationships’... such books aren’t about a religious practice. They are basic stories that explore the deeper meaning and connection in all aspects of life.
Would you prefer our children to be spiritually illiterate? What we mean by this is would you prefer children not to see the web, which connects us with other people and the natural world. Like other illiteracies we would live in a shallower world with less opportunities, limited meaning and a reduced capacity to create preferred futures.
In ‘Care of the Soul’ by T. Moores he states “Some might go further to say that being spiritually illiterate can lead to increased feelings of purposelessness, disconnection, isolation and loneliness in the world.”
Sharing spiritual stories with our children. Enlightening and inspirational spiritual children’s titles are a must in current times. Stories that encourage spiritual participation, stories and meditations to calm the troubled and stressed youngster and perhaps most importantly, stories to lighten the heart and renew the sense of belonging to the world are welcomed by many parents. We need to nurture our children's spiritual awareness because without it their hopes, dreams and daily lives can be immeasurably poorer.
Many well know international authors such as Deepak Chopra are indeed as passionate about Children’s spiritual skills.
” A child raised with spiritual skills will be able to answer the most basic questions about how the universe works. They will understand the source of creativity both within and outside themselves. They will be able to practice non-judgment, acceptance and truth….And they will be free from crippling fear and anxiety about the meaning of life that is the secret dry rot inside the hearts of most adults.” Deepak Chopra.
Given our own internal stories of how we identify with ourselves are partly shaped by the stories heard in our youth, it is little wonder that choosing what kind of literature to expose to our beloved children has become more of an issue with caring parents.
In Australia, retail outlets are now stocking spiritual titles for children (Dymocks, Angus and Robertson and many New Age stores). Stories that are exposing spiritual truths and universal laws are now no longer considered ‘niche’ but mainstream. Helping children develop a much healthier balance of mind, body and spirit and enabling them to respond better to life’s challenges is no longer considered a topic just for ‘adults’.
Australian companies such as Pick-A-Woo Woo (www.pickawoowoo.com) who publish and promote children’s spiritual books globally and Australian self-authors such as Ceinwen (www.ceinwen.com.au); Cazzie Pitis (www.angelinmyheart.com.au); and spiritual parenting resources such as those of Maggie Dent (www.maggiedent.com) are now more important than ever as parents seek spiritual guidance for their children.
However, reading is only one way of assisting your child’s spirituality. Here are others that you might like to consider.
1. Share Nature with Children
Enthusiastically revealing children to nature in their earlier years can have a positive and deep effect on their spiritual development. From ‘Mother Nature’, children will learn that all life is connected. As they see the connection, children will begin to appreciate and respect themselves and the people around them. Compassion, kindness, empathy, and love all grow from appreciation and respect and nature is the greatest teacher.
Many parents have introduced nature-celebrating rituals into their childrens life, ie when the magpies start to warble it’s a time to honor the birds or you could have a winter family festival such as a party to celebrate the first rains and all the new growth underfoot.
2. Encourage your child to share his or her dreams with you. By showing a genuine interest in your child’s dreams, the child will learn to value them. Encouragement to share will build their self-confidence and in turn create an optimistic and cheerful approach to life. By encouraging a child to share their dreams we are ultimately supporting them in believing and achieving them.
3. Encourage your child’s imagination and sense of wonder. Imagination is the most critical tool for inner development. It is important to acknowledge and give significance to your children’s fantasy and inventive play.
Children especially like secret places (tents, tree houses) and secret gardens and cardboard boxes (go back in your memory and I’m sure you’ll remember having done this). And what about imaginary friends? By using their imagination children are trying out different personas, which ultimately allows them to express their inner most feelings.
4. LISTEN! Listening to your child with full attention and concentration.
Young children may try to communicate, but quite often they are not heard and honored. As is quite often the case, children will soon begin to guard their feelings and communication can become limited.
Most enlightened individuals interested in the spirituality of children highly recommend that you take time out of each day to hear about a child’s joys, achievements and frustrations. As adults we should remember that - Listening is more important than speaking – that’s why we have 2 ears and only 1 mouth.
This activity only requires you to take a small amount of time each day to ponder with a child on the same 3 things:
a) Something from the day, which you each are thankful for
b) Something from the day that you each are sorry for
c) Something you each intend for tomorrow.
Sharing with your child will allow them to feel safe and to be open. If a child does not respond to the sit and talk time then try communicating through “art time” (draw pictures while sitting together and talking together).
5. Maintain regular rituals in your home even if you do not embrace a formal religion.
These events will be meaningful expressions of your own spirituality and will encourage your child’s expressions
Rituals can be as simple as lighting candles one day of the week and showing gratitude for all that is or blessing the food at dinner or walking barefoot in the grass each morning and asking our angels to keep us grounded and protected. These family rituals and celebrations turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Nurturing your child’s spirituality by sharing spiritual stories, exposing them to nature, listening to them, helping them expand their imagination, encouraging their dreams and celebrating or creating rituals with them, is a gift you can give them that will last their entire lives. In fact, this could be the most valuable legacy you leave your children.
Rachael Kessler of ‘The Soul of Education’ so eloquently and succinctly put why nurturing our child’s spirituality is so important… “The body of a child will not grow if it is not fed: the mind will not flourish unless it is stimulated and guided. And the spirit will suffer if it is not nurtured”.
Please pass this article on to as many people with children that you can - keep the light!
Then they won’t need to be middle age to know…
Many of the answers come from within!
Many of us seek enlightenment or the spiritual path when we tire of consumerism and seek nourishment for our soul. Not surprisingly, it is usually when we hit the age of 40+ that we start to seek spirituality or question ourselves on Why am I here’? What is living in the now? What is my spirit and who am I really? What do I want from life?…and on and on it goes.
Yet, If we keep the minds of our children open to spirituality, they can only but show the trait we would hope to see in ourselves: love, compassion and service; honesty and authenticity; physical, emotional, mental and spiritual clarity; wisdom and understanding; responsibility and discipline; tolerance and patience; serenity and personal freedom; faith, trust and inner security; gratitude, humility and willingness; hope, happiness, joy, and humour; connection with the earth, nature and everyday life; living in the present moment or in the now; a sense of wonder and reverence to life; a sense of purpose and place in the universe. Why wouldn’t we want this for our children and ourselves?
However, when we seek to, or learn to live a spiritual life we are learning to look inside of ourselves. Inside of us we find our ‘true self’ or ‘spirit’. Our spirit is the source of our happiness, self-confidence, power, and guidance. ‘Our spirit is the true self’.
Children take us back and forth on the continuum of discovery. When we nurture the secret spiritual world of children we may understand our own greatest challenge, the secret unfolding of our spiritual selves.
Dr. Mollie Painton is a nationally recognized lecturer on play therapy and the spirituality of children. Over the past thirty years Dr. Painton has worked with spiritual boys and girls from diverse populations. In the role of friend, confidante, and helper it has become clear to her that all children are at least potentially spiritual, while many are astonishingly gifted. Her compelling and unique book ‘Encouraging Your Children’s Spiritual Intelligence’ highlights that:
Spiritual kids are:
· Messengers of love to the world / Intimate with “truth”
· Wise beyond their ages and experiences
· Healers mending the wounds of loss, judgment, abuse, hate, indifference, disease, and violence
· Determined to unite all in love and peace
· Sensitive individuals with open hearts & minds
· Seeking to find one another
· Compassionate beings who feel the pain of others
· Hungering for a sense of belonging with all people
· Graced by the loving presence of spiritual companions, such as angels and others / Refreshingly honest in their perspective on death
· Blessed with God-given gifts of intuition and ability to see beyond the ordinary
· Astounding teachers with healing messages
· In need of the support of spiritual partners
The first step in nurturing the Spirituality of our Children?
There is a plethora of literature, DVD’s and even movies for adults seeking enlightenment or spiritual awakening however children’s literature has traditionally centered on two types of tales and legends – Folklore and the Biblical Tradition. The real intent behind revealing children to these tales was never truly for entertainment, but as part of their moral education. Their subject matter was carefully restricted to match the ethos of the day and many were considered didactic and preachy.
Times have changed however - with the shift away from the traditional view to a more open-minded spiritual exploration of the various ways of living one’s life in harmony. Finally parents are seeking and finding entertaining and enlightning stories that are exposing spiritual grounding or awareness and these are helping children develop a much healthier balance of mind, body and spirit enabling them to respond better to life’s challenges.
In America and the United Kingdom ‘Spiritual’ or ‘New Age’ children’s books are in as much demand, as ‘New Age’ adult reading material and the trend continues in Australia. The classification ‘New Age’ brings interesting connotations to some however it primarily means ‘a belief in oneself’ and it can signify a religious book yet with a greater focus on the spiritual and with less emphasis on diety.
Children’s spiritual books can readily be described as ‘reading about the sacred in everyday life - in nature, at home, in the classroom, at work, at leisure, in relationships’... such books aren’t about a religious practice. They are basic stories that explore the deeper meaning and connection in all aspects of life.
Would you prefer our children to be spiritually illiterate? What we mean by this is would you prefer children not to see the web, which connects us with other people and the natural world. Like other illiteracies we would live in a shallower world with less opportunities, limited meaning and a reduced capacity to create preferred futures.
In ‘Care of the Soul’ by T. Moores he states “Some might go further to say that being spiritually illiterate can lead to increased feelings of purposelessness, disconnection, isolation and loneliness in the world.”
Sharing spiritual stories with our children. Enlightening and inspirational spiritual children’s titles are a must in current times. Stories that encourage spiritual participation, stories and meditations to calm the troubled and stressed youngster and perhaps most importantly, stories to lighten the heart and renew the sense of belonging to the world are welcomed by many parents. We need to nurture our children's spiritual awareness because without it their hopes, dreams and daily lives can be immeasurably poorer.
Many well know international authors such as Deepak Chopra are indeed as passionate about Children’s spiritual skills.
” A child raised with spiritual skills will be able to answer the most basic questions about how the universe works. They will understand the source of creativity both within and outside themselves. They will be able to practice non-judgment, acceptance and truth….And they will be free from crippling fear and anxiety about the meaning of life that is the secret dry rot inside the hearts of most adults.” Deepak Chopra.
Given our own internal stories of how we identify with ourselves are partly shaped by the stories heard in our youth, it is little wonder that choosing what kind of literature to expose to our beloved children has become more of an issue with caring parents.
In Australia, retail outlets are now stocking spiritual titles for children (Dymocks, Angus and Robertson and many New Age stores). Stories that are exposing spiritual truths and universal laws are now no longer considered ‘niche’ but mainstream. Helping children develop a much healthier balance of mind, body and spirit and enabling them to respond better to life’s challenges is no longer considered a topic just for ‘adults’.
Australian companies such as Pick-A-Woo Woo (www.pickawoowoo.com) who publish and promote children’s spiritual books globally and Australian self-authors such as Ceinwen (www.ceinwen.com.au); Cazzie Pitis (www.angelinmyheart.com.au); and spiritual parenting resources such as those of Maggie Dent (www.maggiedent.com) are now more important than ever as parents seek spiritual guidance for their children.
However, reading is only one way of assisting your child’s spirituality. Here are others that you might like to consider.
1. Share Nature with Children
Enthusiastically revealing children to nature in their earlier years can have a positive and deep effect on their spiritual development. From ‘Mother Nature’, children will learn that all life is connected. As they see the connection, children will begin to appreciate and respect themselves and the people around them. Compassion, kindness, empathy, and love all grow from appreciation and respect and nature is the greatest teacher.
Many parents have introduced nature-celebrating rituals into their childrens life, ie when the magpies start to warble it’s a time to honor the birds or you could have a winter family festival such as a party to celebrate the first rains and all the new growth underfoot.
2. Encourage your child to share his or her dreams with you. By showing a genuine interest in your child’s dreams, the child will learn to value them. Encouragement to share will build their self-confidence and in turn create an optimistic and cheerful approach to life. By encouraging a child to share their dreams we are ultimately supporting them in believing and achieving them.
3. Encourage your child’s imagination and sense of wonder. Imagination is the most critical tool for inner development. It is important to acknowledge and give significance to your children’s fantasy and inventive play.
Children especially like secret places (tents, tree houses) and secret gardens and cardboard boxes (go back in your memory and I’m sure you’ll remember having done this). And what about imaginary friends? By using their imagination children are trying out different personas, which ultimately allows them to express their inner most feelings.
4. LISTEN! Listening to your child with full attention and concentration.
Young children may try to communicate, but quite often they are not heard and honored. As is quite often the case, children will soon begin to guard their feelings and communication can become limited.
Most enlightened individuals interested in the spirituality of children highly recommend that you take time out of each day to hear about a child’s joys, achievements and frustrations. As adults we should remember that - Listening is more important than speaking – that’s why we have 2 ears and only 1 mouth.
This activity only requires you to take a small amount of time each day to ponder with a child on the same 3 things:
a) Something from the day, which you each are thankful for
b) Something from the day that you each are sorry for
c) Something you each intend for tomorrow.
Sharing with your child will allow them to feel safe and to be open. If a child does not respond to the sit and talk time then try communicating through “art time” (draw pictures while sitting together and talking together).
5. Maintain regular rituals in your home even if you do not embrace a formal religion.
These events will be meaningful expressions of your own spirituality and will encourage your child’s expressions
Rituals can be as simple as lighting candles one day of the week and showing gratitude for all that is or blessing the food at dinner or walking barefoot in the grass each morning and asking our angels to keep us grounded and protected. These family rituals and celebrations turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Nurturing your child’s spirituality by sharing spiritual stories, exposing them to nature, listening to them, helping them expand their imagination, encouraging their dreams and celebrating or creating rituals with them, is a gift you can give them that will last their entire lives. In fact, this could be the most valuable legacy you leave your children.
Rachael Kessler of ‘The Soul of Education’ so eloquently and succinctly put why nurturing our child’s spirituality is so important… “The body of a child will not grow if it is not fed: the mind will not flourish unless it is stimulated and guided. And the spirit will suffer if it is not nurtured”.
Please pass this article on to as many people with children that you can - keep the light!
Labels: conscious awakening for children, crystal children, dolphin children, indigo children, inspirational children's books, spiritual books for children, spirituality, star children
posted by Pick-a-Woo Woo @ 12:15
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