Necessary Roughness

Summarizing the Divine Service back in September, I said:

Repeated songs and creeds teach the faith even to those who cannot read or even see. When we don’t make it to church on Sunday, or when I watch the kids at home, I try to play Matins or Vespers on the piano. One of my twin daughters, 3½, has already picked up the Gloria Patri without my trying to make her sing it.

My older daughter made Dad very happy on Sunday.

Our Savior Lutheran Church in Newark rotates the type of service from week to week. For the first week, the printed service borrows heavily from Matins. The Apostle’s Creed is also inserted into the service.

After a moment where my girl realizes that Matins is being said, she recites the opening Psalms, 51:15 and 70:1, as well as the Gloria Patri, from memory. She then goes on to say the first article of the Apostle’s Creed, and of course she said the Lord’s Prayer.

And she’s not even four yet. That’s in another month.

Matins and the Lord’s Prayer are just sung/said as part of the routine, and the girls pick up on it. I don’t even make them sit in the same room, although having the piano in the toys room is added incentive for them to show up.

The Apostle’s Creed is the first thing I’ve been trying to teach intentionally. I don’t want to expect too much and cause any resentment, but rather keep it as something fun and cool to do. I’m not bribing her with chocolate.

When the kids are not participating, they are left to do other things, such as fight over toys, books, and colors. Repetition helps these children participate in church, and kids learn incredibly quickly if the repetition is done daily. Doing it without coercion seems to let it just sink in and let the kids enjoy the positive feedback when they do recite something.