Most Important Answer You’ll Need As a Parent

“Mom, where did I come from?”

“Why am I here and what’s the meaning of life, Dad?”

Sooner or later, parents, your kids are going to ask the “big” questions. It’s important to be ready with a solid answer.

I believe giving your child a faith in God is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. When it comes to parenting, start with a faith foundation. That must come first before everything else can fall into place.

Related: Grounding Our Children in Gratitude

Many parents today shy away from teaching their child faith because they don’t want to “impose” their views on their children. The media has made people of faith appear close-minded and judgmental, so the last thing we want is to teach our kids something that is unpopular.

Despite today’s cultural climate toward the Judeo-Christian faith, I believe if there is a time in history when children need to learn about the character of God, the meaning and wisdom of the scriptures and what the Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish traditions hold, it is now.

Here’s the bottom line: when it comes to teaching your children about God and faith, there is no room for political correctness. The stakes are too high. This is your child’s life and well being that we are talking about, and every child has the right to know God.

A child looks to his mother and father to see what the invisible God is like.

Children who don’t have a well-grounded understanding of why they are here, what their purpose in life is, and why they are important are the most vulnerable to being led astray into self-destructive behaviors.

Every single child is born for a reason, and every child needs to know that she is no accident. She exists to do something and to be someone unique. You can’t necessarily teach a child what she should be, but you can teach her who she should be. Most importantly, teach her that she has a purpose on earth, which will make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Coming to this realization is profoundly freeing for any child because it allows him to see his life in a larger context. He learns that his actions are important, but he understands that if he was born to fulfill a purpose, then God will be there to help him fulfill that purpose. This idea is simultaneously liberating, exciting, and comforting for children.

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You are your child’s introduction to God. This is tough to hear, but it’s true. A child looks to his mother and father to see what the invisible God is like. She can use her imagination, and she does, but she also looks to you to see whether God is nice, mean, short-tempered, funny, sad, or happy.

What type of God are you reflecting to your child, if any?

Some of you may be reading this and feeling very inadequate in regards to giving your child a faith in God. Your own faith is weak or shaky. Perhaps you haven’t been to church or synagogue in years, and you wouldn’t even know where to begin to teach your child about God. My online course, “Give Him a Faith in God,” covers every fear or concern you may have when it comes to teaching your child about God. I don’t take this topic lightly. That’s why I’ve devoted an entire course to teaching you about how you can rediscover your own faith and relationship with God as well as teach your child to have a faith of her own.

I truly do believe faith is the foundation of every strong household and every sound parenting strategy. If you start with a faith foundation, you’re giving your kid solid ground to stand on. Ask yourself the hard questions today. What do you believe? Why? And how will you work to instill belief in your child?

Dr. Meg Meeker has practiced pediatrics and adolescent medicine for 30 years. She is the author of the online course, “The 12 Principles of Raising Great Kids,” which is part of The Strong Parent Project.