Living a Lenten Season with Kids

Each year Emily’s and Leo’s understanding of Lent takes deeper roots into their faith life. In the past we’ve helped them to realize Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us through meaningful ways. Here are some of our favorite traditions to help the kids:

We start on Ash Wednesday. I love Ash Wednesday because it is such a great sign of hope and peace in the world. As a child, I remember feeling very self conscious about receiving ashes and going out in public so everyone important in the universe could see that I was a Christian! Gasp!! Last year Emily went around pushing up her bangs everywhere we went saying to anyone who would listen “can you see my cross? That means I love God!” I wish we could retain the innocence of small children forever! As an adult, so often I just want to blend in and not be noticed. (ok…ok…going around with 3 banshees isn’t exactly the best way to “blend”). Yet it’s amazing how many people are eager to receive the ashes and show an outward sign that they too are turning away from sin and returning to the Gospel.

Fasting--this year we’ve decided to fast from sugar. It’s important to note that this is not for a dietary reason, (as in, hey! Let’s give up sugar so we can all be skinny!), but rather because our favorite well deserved treats in this house are usually involving sugar. (no mom of the year award…but a m&m here and there ain’t gonna kill ya!) We like to take this sacrifice and offer it up for Jesus. This is great because it really teaches your little one self-control, patience, and how sacrifice is needed in a world of sin.

Sacrifice Tree
This is a tradition that we had in my house growing up which I always loved. You begin with a child selected bare branch and small tissue paper leaves. Not only do we fast during Lent, but also we can do small acts of kindness for each other. Each little sacrifice is signified with tying a leaf onto the tree--not to brag but to encourage the beauty of sacrifice. I love this idea because it plants the seeds of teaching the Theology of the Body at a very early age. Kids can clearly see that self-donation and self-sacrifice is awesome and necessary in a loving relationship.

Here's a picture from last year to get the idea:)


Stations of the Cross
Eli and I like to take the kids with us on Friday evenings to say the stations of the cross outdoors. Beforehand, they can color printouts of the stations, and match their paper to the station. Since we’re outside, they can really enjoy themselves as loudly as they’d like. Heehee. I also printed out a calendar for them that they can color one day at a time and really look forward to Fridays. http://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/

I encourage you to make Lent more meaningful for your family. These are several ideas our family does, but we don’t do them everyday…the point is we *try.* Try This is such a great time to stop and reflect on how we’re living our life, and devote more time to God. Can you give Him 1% of your day? 24 minutes is not a lot considering He died on the cross for you. Maybe you could start by reading the Bible for a couple minutes during breakfast. Could you take half your lunch hour to go to daily mass? What about singing the Divine Mercy chaplet for 15 minutes at 3pm? If a rosary seems too hard a commitment with your spouse, how about a decade? How about 5 minutes on Sunday morning to read the gospel before you get to mass? The possibilities are endless…get started today!

In a Quiet Stable in Bethlehem Town

Every year it's our family goal to quietly reflect on the true significance of Christmas during the preparation time of Advent. We have a few traditions to make more of an impact on the children of what a momentous event Christ's birth meant for all of history. Some of the favorite activities we did were so simple, though already Emily asks when we can do them again. For example, a simple countdown paper chain made of purple and pink strips added to our evening Advent prayer time. We have a small advent calendar, light our advent wreath candles, say a prayer, and sing "Oh Come oh Come Emmanuel". The kids get a bell and ring their little hearts out when singing the words REJOICE! They love it. We also have a stocking hung for Jesus in which the kids can give him presents--little love notes or treasures or mommy will write one of their sacrifices down and stuff it inside.

This year we were invited to do something a bit different for Christmas. We drove out to the tiny Texan to attend "Main Street Bethlehem" with a couple family friends. The town sets up a beautiful model of what Bethlehem looked like the day Christ was born. Volunteers from the city (of all different faiths!) dress up and reinact the town. It truly felt as if you walked into a time warp. As we moved through the small town, we saw how the people 2000 years ago lived. There were people in costume gathered around the fire cooking their dinner. Many praying and studying in the synagogue. Kids running around announcing the Messiah had been born. Tax collectors making a scene and dragging people off to jail. Jewlery makers, candle makers, market workers, and even a couple of camels. No one last-minute shopping for presents or stressing about decorations or complaining about visiting inlaws. Although it was packed, the crowd was so peaceful and respectful. They were there to see our the true meaning of Christmas.

There was quite a line. We were freezing and snuggling.
Emily loves her Nana!

We played games and ate popcorn to pass the time. (Leo loves the big boys!)


We finally made it inside to the first room and were taught how to make candles by alternating dipping a long cord into hot wax and water. Such patience and grace these ladies presented!

The townspeople were bursting with excitement that the Messiah had been born.

When we asked this carpenter if he had known Joseph, he replied in a thick Texan accent "y'all just mosey on 'round the corner and take a gander at 'there star." We had a good laugh.

We followed the star, saw the manger, and were blown away. There were thousands of people here, but it was silent. We had found the diamond in the ruff. Jesus, born in muck, next to stinky and loud donkeys, in scratchy hay, was beautiful.