So my child keeps mentioning God....

[Adodd]

Well damn. Guess I knew it was coming lol. Ive been debating making this post for a couple months now. My 8 year old stepdaughter has started mentioning god and Jesus and heaven and has asked to pray before dinner a few times. I want to support her having her own beliefs and we always allow her to pray before we eat if she asks and I even take the moment to genuinely be thankful for the food in front of me. But everything she says is just a repeat of something her dad and grandma say. Everytime it gets mentioned I just think "FUCK". I've been working on it but blind belief in religion kind of triggers me. I want to be prepared for a better response next time but I dont know how to respond to a child that young without sounding like I'm TELLING her she is wrong. It goes even beyond just religion, I want to encourage her to choose her own path and beliefs. But maybe I am just projecting MY beliefs onto her and thats not what I want either.  My only response so far went like this at dinner one night:

Her: don't say "oh my god" it hurts God's feelings.

Me: *drops fork* "OH MY *stepdaughter's name*!!!"

She starts laughing and I asked her if it hurt her feelings when I said that. 

She said no and that was all that was said about it.

[snowyowl]

I can totally relate. But try to remember that children all develop at their own pace. Seen from the SD lens, kids start at beige and grow up through the stages.  This could be an encouraging sign she is moving into blue, perfect for an 8 year old, and will develop her individuality and own beliefs later on, with the great parenting you provide.

[Shin]

As long as her other family isn't a sect she will be fine.

Don't try to change her, she's perfect as she is and she wouldn't understand what would be the alternative, it would just be another belief anyway for her.

Just love her as she is, and if she is interested to know what you believe in later, you can always explain, and maybe or maybe not she will open up to something more true, it doesn't really matter you'll still love her

[mandyjw]

15 hours ago, Adodd said:

Her: don't say "oh my god" it hurts God's feelings.

Me: *drops fork* "OH MY *stepdaughter's name*!!!"

She starts laughing and I asked her if it hurt her feelings when I said that. 

She said no and that was all that was said about it.

I love this.

Just connect with her as you are, with humor and love, I think that's the perfect approach. Encouraging her to truly connect with her own heart and intuition is a teaching beyond words.  

[vladorion]

You can give her a more accurate picture of what Christianity is really about.

[Adodd]

@vladorion elaborate?

[Adodd]

@mandyjw @Shin @snowyowl

Thank you for your wonderful replies?

[vladorion]

2 hours ago, Adodd said:

@vladorion elaborate?

Have you read A Course in Miracles book?

[Dodo]

On 09/05/2021 at 10:23 PM, Adodd said:

Well damn. Guess I knew it was coming lol. Ive been debating making this post for a couple months now. My 8 year old stepdaughter has started mentioning god and Jesus and heaven and has asked to pray before dinner a few times. I want to support her having her own beliefs and we always allow her to pray before we eat if she asks and I even take the moment to genuinely be thankful for the food in front of me. But everything she says is just a repeat of something her dad and grandma say. Everytime it gets mentioned I just think "FUCK". I've been working on it but blind belief in religion kind of triggers me. I want to be prepared for a better response next time but I dont know how to respond to a child that young without sounding like I'm TELLING her she is wrong. It goes even beyond just religion, I want to encourage her to choose her own path and beliefs. But maybe I am just projecting MY beliefs onto her and thats not what I want either.  My only response so far went like this at dinner one night:

Her: don't say "oh my god" it hurts God's feelings.

Me: *drops fork* "OH MY *stepdaughter's name*!!!"

She starts laughing and I asked her if it hurt her feelings when I said that. 

She said no and that was all that was said about it.

Wow absolutely beautiful thing you did when you said that.

If you continue showing her things like that she will on her own make the connection that maybe she shouldn't believe just anything people say as fact.

She is way too young to trully understand Christianity on her own, so she follows what they tell her. But at least she is gaining good values and morals of not putting herself first for example. 

Lovely story

[Adodd]

@vladorion

8 hours ago, vladorion said:

Have you read A Course in Miracles book?

No I have not. What do you mean when say "what Christianity is REALLY about." Whats it REALLY about? 

[vladorion]

15 hours ago, Adodd said:

@vladorion

No I have not. What do you mean when say "what Christianity is REALLY about." Whats it REALLY about? 

Awakening, enlightenment.