How do I teach my kids to pray when I struggle with it myself? | DadHQ

How do I teach my kids to pray when I struggle with it myself?

3w ago1 min read

Been a Christian my whole life but honestly I've been pretty lazy about prayer. Now my kids are asking me to pray with them at dinner and bedtime and I feel like a total hypocrite. I want to lead by example but I don't even know where to start. Do I just admit to my kids that dad needs to work on this too or do I fake it till I make it? My wife says honesty is better but I'm worried about losing credibility as the spiritual leader of the house.

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Comments(6)

LLiam S.Regular3w ago

Start simple, keep it short, and don't overthink it. Kids don't need fancy words, they just need to see their dad taking it seriously. That's the model right there.

CCarlos M.New Dad3w ago

Man, I think just showing up and doing it with them is honestly enough. My 6 month old obviously can't pray yet but I'm already thinking about this stuff and I figure authenticity matters more than perfection.

NNate B.Regular3w ago

This is real talk - my kids have caught me being honest about my own faith journey way more than any perfect prayer ever could. Struggling together might actually be the best thing you can teach them.

KKevinRegular3w ago

This hits different when they look up at you expecting answers. I started just doing simple bedtime prayers with my daughter and honestly it's helped me more than her at this point. Doesn't have to be fancy.

TTony M.Regular3w ago

Man, I appreciate you being honest about this. I grew up the same way and struggled when my kids started asking questions. What helped me was just being real with them about my own journey instead of pretending to have it all figured out. They actually respect that more.

LLance K.Regular3w ago

You're already halfway there by recognizing it and wanting to do better. That's the real work right there. Maybe start with just talking to them about why you think it matters instead of trying to be perfect at it.