Raising kids in a secular world - where do you draw the line?

May 31 min read

My 9yo wants to join the soccer team but practices are on Wednesday nights which is when we do family devotions and church prep. My wife thinks I'm being too rigid but I feel like we're constantly compromising our values. Sports, school events, birthday parties on Sundays, it all chips away at what we're trying to build. How do other families balance keeping their kids active and social while still making faith the priority? I want them to have a normal childhood but not at the cost of their relationship with God.

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Comments(3)

TTommyNew DadMay 4

I think at 9 years old they're starting to form their own interests and that's actually a good thing. Being forced to do something can make kids resent it. What if you let him try soccer and maybe scale back family prayer night to something shorter, or do it on a different night? You're teaching flexibility and respect for his choices too.

MMarkRegularMay 3

This is tough because faith is important but so is letting your kid develop interests. I'd say have a conversation about what Wednesday nights actually mean to your family. Is it a rigid rule or is there room to adapt as your family grows? Sometimes being rigid pushes kids away from faith entirely.

PPedroRegularMay 3

We dealt with this when my daughter wanted to do hockey instead of church on Sundays. Honestly we found a middle ground where she could do both. The sports practice is one night a week right? Maybe there's flexibility with which night or a way to make both work. You don't have to choose all or nothing.