Have you wondered how to celebrate Easter with your children? I’ve asked my good friend Linda Goldfarb to share some tips. Here’s Linda…
“How do I compete with the commercialization of Easter?” A tear slid down Mary’s cheek. “I want my kids to be as excited about Jesus as they are about hunting Easter eggs.”
Mary’s struggle to share the truth about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection with her three young children is real. And she’s not alone.
As a board-certified advanced-level Christian life coach and founder of Parenting Awesome Kids, a faith-based community outreach, I’ve worked with and taught parents touting similar concerns about competing with worldviews for more than a decade.
Here’s a parenting truth: Children need to hear biblical truth repeatedly to form a belief. Once a belief forms, it helps children recognize lies thrown at them from non-Christian viewpoints.
Today, parents need to persistently share biblical truth with their children more than ever. Not unlike the charge given to Israel.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV).
Is there a right or wrong way to celebrate Easter?
How do we consistently share the truth?
I don’t buy into a right or wrong way to celebrate or share our beliefs as Christians, as much as I do to being persistent in sharing daily, always pointing to Scripture as our source of truth. I persistently share one phrase with my PAK parents: “As parents, we’re not the Truth, but we point to Him.”
Pointing to the truth is not difficult. Consider your everyday activities.
Look around the yard, point out God’s creation, and ask your child,
- “Why do you think God dressed the Daisy flower in yellow? What does God say about flowers in the Bible.”
- “Trees have rings in their center, marking how old they are. Do you think how old something or someone is matters to God? What does He say about age in the Bible?”
Next, look up passages in the Bible dealing with age (youth, old age, young) or flowers and share them with your child. Draw pictures together and place them in a clear view of the family to talk about throughout the week. Make Sunday, or another day, “A Fresh Look at God’s Creation Day.”
As your child gets older, ask them to take the lead and teach you. It’s incredible how many young people are eager to show off what they learn about God.
As your child gets older, ask them to take the lead and teach you. It's incredible how many young people are eager to show off what they learn about God. #Parenting, #Easter Click To TweetGetting to Know God Time
Though a simple task, discussing God’s creation and His love for all of us takes intentionality and time. Consider prioritizing 5-10 minutes a few days a week as Getting to Know God Time. Let your children take turns planning where to look for Him, and you help supply Scripture (truth) to go a little deeper spiritually.
To balance truth with tradition at Easter, one of my best friends, Kelly Harris, and I wrote: Lovey Mouse in an Easter Story as a resource for parents and grandparents. You meet Eliza Jean, Maw-Maw, and Lovey Mouse in this full-color book.
With Easter right around the corner, Eliza Jean is not sure how she feels about the arrival of her new baby sister. She’s even more upset when her special stuffed toy, Lovey Mouse, is drug through the mud, chewed on, and torn up by Maw-Maw’s dog, Blue.
Maw-Maw takes time to share biblical truth with EJ as Lovey Mouse undergoes a physical transformation resulting in a new heart. Will hard choices ruin their time together or make memories of love that last forever? This Easter may prove to be unforgettable.
How do you incorporate spiritual balance during Easter?
Parenting and grandparenting aren’t jobs for the faint-at-heart, especially during these days of relational turmoil and confusion. Do you have questions and concerns? I’d love to hear from you, and I’ll do my best to provide helpful answers based on biblical truth and my life experiences.
Hugs in Him,
Linda
Linda Goldfarb (www.livepowerfullynow.org) is married to Sam, the momma of four adult children, and Maw-Maw to many grandchildren. She is also an award-winning author of the LINKED Personality series, an international speaker, the founder of Parenting Awesome Kids, and a board-certified advanced-level Christian life coach specializing in personal and professional growth.
You can order Lovey Mouse in an Easter Story for $5 plus shipping directly from Linda. The book includes fun ideas, crafts, and seek-n-finds. Please email Linda at Linda@LivePowerfullyNow.org
Lovey Mouse in The Night Before Christmas is available on Amazon –
We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This doesn’t add any cost to the purchase.
Every holiday is about making memories. We want those memories to be about Jesus. Great advice for families here!
Yes, Nancy. To celebrate Jesus with our families is so important. Thanks so much.
So true, Nancy. When we take the time to talk about Jesus in our comings and goings, our children, family, friends, and strangers discover how we feel about Him.
This opens a door of communication. And isn’t that what we want, for people to ask questions and share concerns?
Thank you for your comment.
Love this message! Our grandchildren are 4 years old and 16 months old. We enjoy sharing God’s love with them and are always looking for new ways to teach them. Even the youngest ones can learn how to love others.
What fun ages. I know you are having a great time with them, Melissa.
Hi Melissa! I can imagine how loved by you, your grandchildren feel.
So true, our young ones learn how to live as they watch us and do as we do.
You have written wonderful childrens books, so colorful and engaging. Do you use exaggerated voices when you read to them?
Thank you for commenting.
Hugs
Debbie thank you for sharing Linda’s wisdom here. As a grandmother I am always looking for ways to share the truth of scripture with my grandchildren. This is absolutely wonderful and so timely.
Thank you, Ann. What a wonderful opportunity to pass on our love for Jesus.
Thank you for your words of encouragement, Ann.
Sharing truth with our children and grandchildren is such a blessing.
Do you get the chance to read to yours often?
I appreciate your take here. Our kids will learn the most from how WE celebrate Easter in front of them.
Thank you, Lisa.
Our actions do speak louder than words, don’t they? Positive or negative, what we show our children tells them where our hearts are.
I pray for the Lord to fill me with grace and to make my words like honey.
How do you celebrate Easter?
If you’ve never been blessed to meet and speak with Mrs. Linda Goldfarb in person, then the next best thing is to read her words. Whether a children’s book, or an in-depth study of God’s word where she reveals hidden truths, all show you her immense heart for God and the love He has infused her soul with. Great encouragement for both parents and grandparents to help us in guiding young people to Christ through God’s word. Pretty helpful for tired old AWANA leaders too. 🙂 God’s blessings ladies.
Oh, J.D., you bless my heart.
It’s amazing, is it not, that Father uses us in mighty ways to share His love with others.
Thank you for being an AWANA’s leader. I know the young people were blessed by you.
J.D., my children benefited from AWANA. Thank you so much for pouring your love into these children.
With three granddaughters whom we love deeply, I so appreciated this post. This >> “Children need to hear biblical truth repeatedly to form a belief. ” May my legacy be that they saw Jesus in me and came to love Him too.
Praise the Lord!
Thank you for sharing what spoke to your heart, Joanne.
Isn’t it just like Father, when He repeats Himself in Scripture, because what He has to say is important? We are to remind our children again and again, Who we love, why we love Him, and how much He loves us.
I can see your legacy of truth lasting a few lifetimes.
Amen! May God grant you that desire, Joanne. I know He will.
Great ideas, Linda! Thank you.
Annie, thanks so much for reading!
Oh, thank you, Annie!
Love this. Just keep pointing to Biblical truths. That is what we all need to do. Thank you for your suggestions and encouragement.
Thank you, Jennifer.