My daughter is my 4th toddler, yet I forget how early a child can learn how to pray and learn about Jesus. I love it! Our 7-year-old is still in the stage where he wants to say every prayer or he feels slighted, so now our bed time prayers turn into quite the drama because our daughter screams that she wants to say the prayer. We’ll tell our son that he can say another one, but that makes her angry too, as if we didn’t consider her prayer the “real” one. We respond, “All of you can say a prayer anytime you want to!”
She does absolutely awesome in Nursery, but I still can’t resist the urge to peek through the window every Sunday and see what she’s up to in there. I looked in at the perfect time last week. They were getting ready to have their snack and bless it. She was chosen to say the prayer, so I saw her just as she folded her arms and closed her eyes in a way that made her look like she was exerting herself. It was adorable and much better than the time I looked in just as an older child pinned her down and left her sobbing. I was surprised because she’s quite aggressive with her older brothers.
I’m also surprised that she can say the word “scriptures” and knows what they are. She sometimes takes them to bed with her and I was cracking-up the morning she came out of her bedroom holding them. I asked her, “Were you reading the scriptures?” She nodded seriously. I love that she understands already that they are important. I feel like we have done a good job being consistent about reading together as a family.
Sometimes she’ll sit at the piano and make up random songs about Jesus or wants to read books about Him. I hope she will grow to have a strong testimony she carries with her her whole life.
On the flip side, she also picks up some very unpleasant things from us, so I’m reminded that I better watch what I say! For instance, maybe when someone cuts me off in traffic, I shouldn’t yell, “You idiot!” Yes, toddlers are our little mirrors, aren’t they? I hope I can create a better image to reflect every day.
How do you teach your toddler the Gospel? Please share.
