Lately I've been trying to do prayer and Bible study with the kids before bed but I feel like I'm not doing it right. My 6 year old keeps asking questions I don't have answers to and my teenager just looks miserable. I want to raise them to have strong faith but I feel like I'm failing. Anyone dealt with this? How do you make it feel natural instead of forced?
I struggle with this too. I think the key is not overthinking it. Just be honest with them about faith in a way that feels natural. My kids respond better when I'm genuine than when I'm trying to sound like a preacher.
What age are your kids? I found that doing it differently for each age helped. The younger ones just need to see you being faithful, they don't need perfect words.
I feel you on this. Some nights my kids are just zoned out or being goofy and I wonder if we're doing anything productive. But I keep thinking consistency matters more than perfection with this stuff.
Prayer time was awkward for me at first as a new dad but I realized kids pick up on your discomfort. I started keeping it short and simple instead of trying to make it this big formal thing. Might help to not put so much pressure on yourself.
Maybe try making it shorter and more interactive? Instead of a formal Bible study, ask them about their day and talk about where they saw God in it. Might feel less like a lesson and more like a real conversation.
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The bedtime prayer thing is tough because by that point everyone's exhausted. We switched ours to right after dinner when the kids still have energy and it feels less forced now. Might be worth trying?