We try to pray the rosary every day as a family. Try is the key word here, folks. Try. It's not easy. And, I'm sure it's not pretty, but we try anyway. Our Lady surely must still appreciate our efforts no matter how crazy and disheveled the process may be. And, given the fact that she, too is a mother, surely she understands the trials our families face when trying to show devotion to her.
We have eight kids in our home ranging in age from 20 down to three so this is the voice of experience talking. I'm not going to lie- some days, it's chaotic. Ok- most days. But, I do have a few ideas to share with you to try to calm things down to keep your younger kids interested and wanting to take part.
We have eight kids in our home ranging in age from 20 down to three so this is the voice of experience talking. I'm not going to lie- some days, it's chaotic. Ok- most days. But, I do have a few ideas to share with you to try to calm things down to keep your younger kids interested and wanting to take part.
#1 Make sure your children understand the importance of daily prayer. Inevitably, there is going to be a kid (or two) that is annoyed about family prayer time. When that annoyance rears it's head in our home, we remind our children that family rosary time is our little chance each day to give thanks to God for His goodness to us. It's our devotion time and we should not be annoyed by it. Period. God gives us 24 hours in a day; surely we can offer up 20 minutes of that time back to Him and Our Lady. And, it's also of utmost importance for your children to understand how valuable praying the rosary is. I've heard it said that praying a rosary is like creating a crown of roses for Our Lady. Emphasize to your children that we should try to make every rose (Hail Mary) as beautiful as we can by saying our prayers with love and devotion.
#2 Try to pray the rosary at the same time every day. Make it a time when everyone is typically home. For some families, morning works best; for others, bedtime is better. We really like praying at night as it calms the little ones down before we shuttle them off to bed. But, the key here is to try to make family rosary time happen at the same time every day whether it be morning, noon or night. Your little ones will become used to the routine.
#2 Try to pray the rosary at the same time every day. Make it a time when everyone is typically home. For some families, morning works best; for others, bedtime is better. We really like praying at night as it calms the little ones down before we shuttle them off to bed. But, the key here is to try to make family rosary time happen at the same time every day whether it be morning, noon or night. Your little ones will become used to the routine.
#3 Give your children a rosary of their very own. Very young children are not going to be able to follow along, obviously. Still, they will feel very special when allowed to use a rosary that is their very own even if they can't use it properly. If your child has their own rosary, chances are they'll run for their own "special rosary" when rosary time is announced each day.
You might also want to consider one of my sliding bead rosaries. It's a rosary design I came up about a year ago to help one of my children follow along while we pray the rosary. The child simply pulls a bead for every Hail Mary said.
You might also want to consider one of my sliding bead rosaries. It's a rosary design I came up about a year ago to help one of my children follow along while we pray the rosary. The child simply pulls a bead for every Hail Mary said.
#4 Use a book with pictures of each mystery. There are many lovely books about the rosary that feature pictures of each mystery. Have your child hold the book and point out the picture of each mystery as you pray the rosary.
Above is a picture of our well-loved "book" that we purchased many years ago. Ours is actually a set of heavy 8" x 10" cards that we attached together with some rings. It's kid friendly and pretty easy to use.
#5 Consider a rosary CD. Think about purchasing a "Pray the Rosary" CD to pray along with. You might find that you don't want to use it every day, but by even using a CD periodically, you're changing the routine a bit and adding some interest.
#6 Allow the child to lead a decade. Obviously, the capabilities to do this will vary from child to child. We've had some as young as age four or five that were able to lead a whole decade, and yet an eight year old might still struggle with just a few Aves. Aid your child as they go and teach them. Even a young child at the tender age of two might want to say one Hail Mary as the leader. Doing this simple task will give your child(ren) such a sense of pride!
#6 Pray on your knees as a family. Though you're certainly not required to, praying the rosary on your knees is a pious way to offer your prayers. And, when one is on their knees, it also makes it more difficult to run about the room and play and giggle...being on your knees certainly keeps you focused!
Above is a picture of our well-loved "book" that we purchased many years ago. Ours is actually a set of heavy 8" x 10" cards that we attached together with some rings. It's kid friendly and pretty easy to use.
#5 Consider a rosary CD. Think about purchasing a "Pray the Rosary" CD to pray along with. You might find that you don't want to use it every day, but by even using a CD periodically, you're changing the routine a bit and adding some interest.
#6 Allow the child to lead a decade. Obviously, the capabilities to do this will vary from child to child. We've had some as young as age four or five that were able to lead a whole decade, and yet an eight year old might still struggle with just a few Aves. Aid your child as they go and teach them. Even a young child at the tender age of two might want to say one Hail Mary as the leader. Doing this simple task will give your child(ren) such a sense of pride!
#6 Pray on your knees as a family. Though you're certainly not required to, praying the rosary on your knees is a pious way to offer your prayers. And, when one is on their knees, it also makes it more difficult to run about the room and play and giggle...being on your knees certainly keeps you focused!
#7 Light a candle. This is a simple trick I learned many years ago. Very simply: light a candle at the beginning of prayer time. If the child behaves satisfactorily during prayer time, then they are allowed to blow out the candle. If they were not well behaved according to your standards, then mom or dad or a sibling can blow it out- not them. This tactic seems so simple, but it really does work.
#8 The actions of your older children set the tone. A gentle reminder to your older children that they set the tone for how the younger children behave is sometimes useful. If your older kiddos are wiggly, talkative or don't participate in family prayers, then chances are your younger children won't feel like it either. One thing we try to instill in our children is the idea that we should behave in the same manner as we do at Mass as we do during family rosary time. No chatting, paying attention, giving our all to Our Lord.
Relax. If your house feels like the busiest house in the world during rosary time, I assure you it most likely is not. Have faith and don't quit. Keep praying your rosary every day. And, remember the family that prays together, stays together!
What tips do you have for praying the family rosary? Please share in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!
#8 The actions of your older children set the tone. A gentle reminder to your older children that they set the tone for how the younger children behave is sometimes useful. If your older kiddos are wiggly, talkative or don't participate in family prayers, then chances are your younger children won't feel like it either. One thing we try to instill in our children is the idea that we should behave in the same manner as we do at Mass as we do during family rosary time. No chatting, paying attention, giving our all to Our Lord.
Relax. If your house feels like the busiest house in the world during rosary time, I assure you it most likely is not. Have faith and don't quit. Keep praying your rosary every day. And, remember the family that prays together, stays together!
What tips do you have for praying the family rosary? Please share in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!
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