Many of us struggle with our kids resistance to going to church or church school.
Actually, I would be surprised if this never happened to you.
Generally, younger children come happily and enjoy being here. But by the "tween" or teen years, youth are doing what they should be doing - separating from their parents so they can feel a sense of independence which will allow them to become self-sufficient adults. However the push back that parents feel is exhausting! Know it's normal, but difficult! Parents must pick their battles; where do you rank Faith Formation?
The following articles are "food for thought" about dealing with that developmental stage as it relates to Faith Formation.
Church on Sunday: Because Spiritual Education Takes More Than Good Intentions. "By the time we reach Sunday – this supposed day of rest – I’ve had it. I am tired of saying “no” and “because I said so…” about a million times. I’m tempted to just say, “Fine, let’s skip church today.”
New York Times, December 2014
New York Times, December 2014
Should parents force their kids to go to church? "Now that’s a loaded question for you! Any answer you give will likely blow up in your face. So before we attempt this dangerous feat, let’s work through some background issues."
"Getting your kids to do something you know they should do but don’t want to do is hard. On the one hand you don’t want to be the kind of parent that says, “Because I said so!” (although there are times that’s necessary). On the other hand you can’t put your child in the driver seat of every decision. So what do you do when you want your kids to go to church but they don’t want to?"
What to do when your kids don't want to come to church.
What to do when your kids don't want to come to church.