As an atheist parent, what if there comes a time when your child asked you to teach him/her how to pray, what would you do when you don't pray?
I'm a theist but not a member of a particular religion. I was raise as a catholic and my child sees catholic people everywhere. One time she asked me to teach her how to pray, so I taught her my personal way of praying and not the way Christians does. I know it will be different if you are an atheist, so I would love to know what would you do in that scenario.
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I would teach my child to do it, but also let him or her know that this is not necesary to be happy.
I think I would teach them how to pray, but I'd also ask them why they wanted to, and I would tell them my opinion on it that it's a waste of time (probably not in those exact words :P)
Hmm, that's a hard question. I personally don't feel prayer should be taught as a step 1, 2, 3 method so therefore I do not feel I have the right to "teach" prayer. I may give a brief explanation of what I believe prayer to be but I'm not going to teach "bow your head, close your eyes." Prayer differs from person to person, not everyone prays the same. Technically if everyone goes to the same church then they will all pray the similarly but I feel it is best for people, especially children, to find their own way.
Anything that a parent taught to their kids might last for a long time, so I think if you want your kids to grow up having the same belief with yours, then you can simply teach him your ways in a gentle and loving manner. Parents should be the one who will greatly influence their kids.
I was taught to meditate, use breathing exercises and affirmations when I was very young. My Father is an atheist, and I did begin asking him for grounding and directional tactics when I was 8 or 9.
Definitely shaped my life very much for the better, and I'm glad that my Father is such a great spiritual guide. It helps that we have pretty much everything in common. When I was younger, I thought it was because he really understood me and my psychological struggles, but when I became an adult I realized that it's just that I'm a genetic protege and odds are I'm chemically predisposed to follow a similar path of development :)
My wife and I are torn on this subject. She thinks it's a good thing and teaches our children where-as I don't and feel that they can decide as they grow. If anyone has some tips, I am all ears!
That's a tough subject. My first impulse is to say let the kids decide for themselves and each of you answer whatever questions they ask, but unfortunately there's a lot more to a child's upbringing than just parents.