Whenever people hear the words Holy Week, they automatically think of a wonderful vacation or they think of the fact that they’re going to have a long weekend. However, have we ever stopped to think about the real meaning of Holy Week? Especially now, we are in lockdown and going on a vacation is definitely out of the question. Now, how do you teach your kids about holy week?
The important thing would be knowing why we’re celebrating Holy Week
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The Holy Week started as a celebration of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us. Back in the olden days, people religiously followed strict rules when it comes to fasting, as well as the things that you can and can’t do during the Holy Week.
As the times have changed, some of these beliefs have become outdated, as some people choose not to fast during the Holy Week, while others still choose to stand by their old traditions. Now, whether or not you choose to follow tradition, or have new beliefs, as Christians and Catholics, the most important thing would be to know why we’re celebrating Holy Week.
Christ is the most important part of Holy Week
Teaching your kids about Holy Week, and Christ’s significance is very important, as he’s the entire reason why we’re here! He sacrificed himself so that our sins may be forgiven, and while the entire story of Holy Week might not be family friendly, children need to know just how big of a sacrifice Jesus Christ made.
Sharing the story of Christ’s selflessness also helps our kids to follow in his footsteps; spreading love, compassion, and caring about other people’s welfare first before their own. A lot of people nowadays tend to forget just how important it is to care for other people, which is why it’s vital that our kids learn this important lesson.
How to teach your kids about holy week
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How to teach your kids about Holy Week? The best way is through the Bible. The Bible has a lot of stories that you can tell your children, and it’s also a way for you to bond as a family. You can even invite some of your relatives, so that you can take turns telling Bible stories.
Another great way to celebrate Holy Week would be to share your stories of faith, and how Christ played an important role in your life, especially during times that you felt down or sad. These stories can inspire children to follow in Christ’s footsteps, and become loving and compassionate human beings that care for one another.
Either way, the most important thing is to bring back the importance of Christ in our celebrations instead of just the usual holy week traditions in the Philippines.
Important life lessons to teach your kids
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1. Teach them to be generous
Especially during this time, the world needs more empathetic people, so start them young! Teach them the principle that when you give more, you actually gain more. But also, you should emphasize that in giving, they should not expect for anything in return. Being generous can simply mean you recognize the need of others so you help out in any way you can!
2. Forgive easily
Holding grudges is not a healthy habit. Instead, teach them that as humans we have the tendency to make a lot of mistakes. Because of that, we need to be more understanding of each other. Forgiving is hard to do when you’re not used to doing it. But if you teach your children about forgiveness and they grow up practicing it, this will just be done out of habit when they grow old.
3. Be compassionate
Aside from generosity, your kids should learn about compassion while they’re still young. If you want your kids to not grow up selfish, teaching them to be compassionate is the way. Each child develop empathy at different ages, but you can tell that your child is on the right track when he encourages his friends in the littlest ways.
4. Practice patience
Patience is probably the hardest principle to teach your kids. Even us adults, sometimes get impatient. So don’t expect your child to remain calm and patient all the time. The important thing to look at is if they try to follow rules or simple instructions. This is enough to see if you’ve taught your child well.
5. Love others
The most important thing to teach your kids is to love others. This is actually the greatest commandment in the Bible as well. Jesus commands us to love others as we love ourselves. So without love for people, it is impossible to practice all the other principles mentioned.
When you talk to your kids about these things, make sure you also set an example for them. They are growing up fast and it is better to instill these principles in them as early as possible. You will definitely thank yourself in the future for doing this because when the time comes and they get influenced by other people, you won’t have much of a hard time training them to filter what’s good and bad for them.
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