Pope Leo has called Catholics to pray the daily rosary during the month of October. Here are five creative ways to get your little one praying today:
1) Get a Rosary.
Find or make a rosary meant for curious and busy hands. From teething rosaries to DIY kits, getting a kid-friendly rosary doesn’t have to be hard.
For the youngest babies, Chews Life has several silicone rosaries that can take a tumble and ease sore gums. (Founder Shannon Wendt has a powerful story of how the Rosary impacted her life in her new book The Way of the Rosary.)
For older kids, try picking out colorful beads in a few shapes and sizes to make their own rosary. Doing this as a quiet and meditative activity helps kids understand the importance of each bead’s purpose as they string them one at a time.
2) One Prayer at a Time.
Praying the whole Rosary takes about 20 minutes, which means a lot of focus and stamina for new devotees. Start small by teaching the Hail Mary prayer first and working up to praying a decade of Hail Marys.
With time, add the Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, the Glory Be, the Fatima prayer, and the Hail Holy Queen prayer.
Learn to Pray My First Hail Mary and My First Interactive Rosary Book are great resources for parents and new readers to guide them through the prayers in the right order as they build up to praying a full Rosary.
3) Demystify the Mysteries.
The Rosary is a prayer tool with layers of depth and complexity, but it is also a simple way to recall the miraculous story of Jesus. There are 20 Mysteries broken into four parts. Why not focus on one mystery a week and pray one decade while learning how to ‘meditate’ or focus on that particular scene in Jesus’ life?
A quiet moment before or after praying can be an opportunity for discussion. Children of all ages can share their thoughts about learning to pray out loud while also thinking about a specific Mystery. To prompt them, ask things like, “Was it easy or hard to concentrate?” Or “What part of this Mystery did you think about? Can you describe what it looks like in your mind?”
Think about keeping a small journal on this prayer journey with the little ones’ thoughts and reactions. Not only is it a sweet reminder of growth, but it could be surprisingly insightful!
4) Don’t Seek Perfection.
Teach kids that a prayer doesn’t have to be perfect to be heard. Our Lady hears all prayers with love. Praying the Rosary is about creating a relationship with Jesus Christ through Mary’s perspective and walking with her as we meditate on the events of His life. Some prayers might be easier for children to memorize, while others may take months or years to master.
5) Make It Routine.
Is there a quiet part of the day where a few prayers of the Rosary can be added? Five minutes is a great amount of time to start. If mornings are busy, nap time or evening story time could be a perfect place to fit in some prayer time. The Rosary is always there, and Mary is always waiting to intercede for us, no matter what time of day or night.