Search Institute

How Your Child May Be Developing Spiritually

• Discovers the world through warm, caring relationships with parents and other caregivers.
• Experiences life through what she or he sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes.
• Finds out whether the world is safe and predictable by how parents and caregivers interact with her or him.

What You May Experience as a Parent

• A sense of wonder at what your child sees and notices in the world.
• Pleasure and comfort in the simple spiritual rituals that are important to your family.
• Ambivalence about how you may want to nurture spirituality and religious practices in your family.
• The challenge of adapting your spiritual or religious practices to include a young child.

Nurturing Your Child’s Spiritual Development

• Engage in spiritual practices (e.g. music, service, worship, prayer, meditation) as a family so that they become a regular part of family life.
• Adapt your religious and spiritual practices to the developmental abilities of your child. (For example, young children cannot sit too long.)
• Participate in rituals and practices that involve the five senses.
• Enjoy toys, stories, and music that engage and comfort your child.
• Surround your child and yourself with warm, caring people who value and nurture young children and their spiritual lives.
• Encourage your child to be gentle, caring and empathic towards others. Model these practices.