By Either you are a free thinker or an ardent believer of your faith; you cannot stop your child from meeting people with different religions. We live in a diverse society where we come across people from different religious backgrounds daily. Even in schools, your child will have friends from other faiths, and they must learn to respect other individuals and the beliefs they practice.
Mindful parenting helps you to foster a good connection with your children and makes them learn to show respect and connect with other people. Growing up in a Catholic family, I have learned to get along with people from different religions and be respectful of them. Building an understanding and learning about other religious beliefs has helped me become more respectful of people and the beliefs they hold.
“Even if you are raising a family rooted in religion, teach your kids to be respectful and tolerate other faiths.”
1. Become an Example for Your Kids
Children imitate their parents. They’ll follow you and copy you in every aspect of their life. Your kids will note every good and bad habit and what you do around them. They’ll learn from it and will start practicing it. One of the best ways to make your child more respectful towards other religions and cultures is to become an example for them. Before you expect them to be tolerant, kind, and open-minded, you must practice what you preach.
You want your child to come to prayer? Pray in front of them. If you respect people from different religions and show them kindness, your child will copy you. As parents, you can make your kids embrace diversity through your actions and make them an open-minded person. Your kids are always watching you, and they will follow the same behavior they see.
2. Teach Them To Understand Their Own Spiritual Beliefs and Values
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well“- Albert Einstein.
To have a better understanding of other religions, you must first teach your kids about your own religious beliefs, as well as about your faith’s spiritual and ethical values. Jumping directly into a conversation about other religions will never allow them to appreciate and respect other faiths. As different theologies and learning leads to different practices and festivities, you educate your child about it.
In the same manner, using a respectful approach makes them learn about their own religion. Continually chanting the mantra, “what we are doing is right and what others do is wrong,” will only make them resent other people. It would be best if you made them understand the fact that all religions spread peace and respect. They have some great elements that define them, and one must learn to accept them the way they are.
3. Talk To Them About Other Religions
Another thing you can do is talk to your child; have open conversations about other religions. When kids are raised with a single set of religious beliefs, they find it really hard to accept other people’s beliefs. They are always stuck with the thought of why others don’t follow or believe in the same way they do.
To teach them better, you as a parent must have an understanding of other religions. Have a friendly conversation with your child about what is right in your own religion and explain why other religions don’t follow it. It’s important to teach kids at least a little bit about other faiths and the reason people feel strongly about it.
Discriminating against people on the basis of their religious beliefs is ethically and morally wrong. You must play your role by briefing kids not to treat others unfairly on the basis of their beliefs. That’s how we can make this world a better place to live.
4. Teach Kids Not To Categorize Others on the Basis of Their Faiths
I have seen people who avoid befriending people from other faiths. They have this habit of blocking people, as their religions do not match with their own. This is how discrimination begins. These beliefs do not develop as adults, but is rooted in them from their early years of understanding and learning.
It is important to teach your child to treat everyone fairly and do not discriminate if others do not practice the same faith. People that are always having conversations on Islamophobia have their kids learning to hate Islam and Muslims as well. Have positive opinions about other faiths, and instill it in your child’s mind to respect others right to believe whatever they want.
5. Have a Conversation About Similarities Among Religions
One of the challenging aspects as parents is to look for the similarities in other religions and explain them to your kids in the easiest possible manner. When children see and observe the positive aspects and similarities in other faiths, they are able to accept and connect with others.
Dissertation writers UK has a diverse company culture, but one thing that they integrate with their work environment is treating everyone fairly and allow having open conversations on different religions. When you narrate similar stories that are present in other religions as well, your child will understand other religion’s core values and will learn to be open to all beliefs.
6. Give Them Satisfactory Answers
Children are curious; they need satisfactory answers to every question. When they get to observe discrimination on a religious basis, they want to know and understand the reason for such behaviors. Children are always wondering about why certain things happen in a particular manner; thus, it will be no different when you talk to them about religious beliefs.
One of the important factors is to be calm and composed when your child asks multiple questions about religion. They come to you with the hope that you know and understand everything. At times you might feel emotional or attacked, but avoiding their questions won’t do any good. This is why you must know other’s faiths and spiritual values first, as it will help your kids to have a better understanding and have a respectful approach towards other religions.
7. Learn To Be Mindful
People who strictly follow a single faith have a strong belief that their religion is the only true religion, and all other beliefs are wrong to accept. This mindset that parents have can prove to be quite damaging for their kids. In doing so, these kids learn to treat other people unfairly. This kind of mindset limits and confuses them to a greater extent.
Being mindful of other religions gives your child the opportunity to have open-ended discussions on other religions, know about other people’s faiths, and treat them fairly. Thinking other faiths and religions are downright wrong results in making them a prejudiced believer that criticizes other people’s beliefs.
Amirah, a Content curator at best assignment writing service, says, “Instead of telling your child of forcing your beliefs on them, encourage them to think and learn about other religions at an early age.” Being mindful will make them learn to tolerate other beliefs and faiths.
8. Teach Through Experience
Lastly, you might want to teach your kids not only through words, but through your experience. You can do this by taking your children to religious gatherings and show them, irrespective of religious beliefs, we all are human beings that are given the gift of faith. We all are looking for spirituality in our lives.
Showing real human faces to your kids instead of preaching to them with words is no doubt an effective way to teach kids that exercising tolerance and being respectful towards other faiths and religious beliefs is essential, as well as morally right.
Bottom Line…
Educating kids about discrimination and teaching them to be respectful does not only benefit the kids in their personal life, but it contributes to building a peaceful community. When a child nurtures in such an environment when other religions are given respect and open-ended discussions are carried out freely, this helps in developing them into mature adults who give importance to other values and beliefs.
Always highlight the positive aspects of other religions like moral values, fairness, peace, and oneness of the creator. When kids learn to be tolerant and connect with people with diverse faiths, it can be a key to promote peace and harmony all over the world.
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Author Bio
Elaine Vanessa is working as a Culture Managing Assistant at Dissertation Assistance. This platform is known as the best dissertation writing service in the UK. She is a great writer and loves to write about different cultures and beliefs. She wants people to embrace other cultures openly and share her thoughts on different platforms.