Repentance sometimes sounds scary or confusing to children and teenagers. The article “10 Tips for Teaching Repentance” provides tips for teaching repentance in a loving, empowering way.
Here are the first four tips from that article:
- Keep it simple. You can teach your children that “when we sin, we turn away from God,” but “when we repent, we turn back toward God.” We can turn back toward God by recognizing our wrongs, making things right, and trying hard to do better.
- Focus on the positive. No matter what, “repentance is always positive.” It’s not a punishment for bad behavior; it’s an opportunity to try again and draw closer to God. Encourage your children to think about what they’re doing right and how they can do more of that.
- Emphasize the everyday. Repentance is for little sins as much as for big ones. Daily repentance means frequent correction, like a ship maintaining a course. Help your children recognize the small ways they can improve each day.
- Make room for mistakes. Help your children understand that mistakes can be a part of learning. Allow them to deal with the consequences of their choices and help them figure out how to make things right again. Teach them to turn to God for help.
Read the article “10 Tips for Teaching Repentance” to read more ideas.
For more parenting ideas, see the section “Christlike Parenting” in the Life Help section of Gospel Library.