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Spirituality could be the keystone in the upbringing of children.

There was a time not long ago when spirituality formed the core of the upbringing ritual of the parents. The readers who were born before the ’90s would agree that spirituality was the common thread that ran through different aspects of their upbringing. It was not limited to the places of worship but you carried the spirituality wherever you went- not as a burden but as an asset to be proud about. From the dinner table to your bed, the prayers to the higher being always made you feel connected. You could not steal a pencil from your friend at the school as “God was watching you”. You didn’t have to worry about the next day’s bread as God will provide it for you. You kind of established a child-father relationship with God.

Spirituality in the present century

Fast forward to the present times and we see that the world has changed a lot. It has become much more commercialized and self-centric even for those who are not overly saintly at the heart. Cut-throat competition leaves one strained and stressed and there are several options available in the entertainment market that play the role of instant stress busters- Bars, Discotheques, Shopping malls, and amusement parks. Even a little quota of peaceful time you get at home is consumed in tinkering with the gadgets and devices that connect and entertain you. In such a chock-a-block scheme of things, one can easily forget spirituality.

The upbringing of children by modern parents

Coming back to our main topic, the upbringing of today’s children is quite different. They are taught to be smart, productive, talented, creative, and sharp. But not many parents are keen to make their child spiritual. Assuming on the above paragraph, many families do not have the ideal, healthy spiritual environment at home that can inspire their child to be spiritual. However, as a parent, you might change your perspective after reading what psychology has to say regarding the benefits of making your child spiritual.

When psychology meets spirituality

Lisa Miller, a psychologist at Columbia University has recently published a book in which she argues that spirituality goes much beyond just making your child a good kid. The book contains many studies and various research- both psychological and neurological- that supports the fact that a healthy spiritual environment of the house has a key role to play in raising the children who have all the required qualities to excel ahead in personal and professional life. They are not only optimistic and joyful but can also handle the traumas of life more confidently.

Spiritual investment offers recurring interests

Think of spiritual investment as a fixed deposit with recurring interests. The children how to grow in a healthy spiritual ambiance keep on reaping the benefits at the different stages of life. In the teenage they don’t indulge in alcoholism or questionable relationships, at the middle age they prove to be good, committed family persons and at old age, they have a more positive outlook towards life. They are also better prepared to handle the depression decently. Teenage is the most critical juncture of one’s life and one needs to maintain his balance in the teenage if he wants to get success in life.

Here the spirituality goes a long way in keeping your child on right track. A child with healthy spiritual growth is very less likely to engage in any type of immoral activity. One of the major reasons that spoil even a cultured child during teenage is peer pressure. But a child with a robust spiritual upbringing has more resistance power and cannot be influenced by negative forces easily. It protects him from peer pressure. This resistance power is acquired by a keen sense of attachment to God the key source of power. So when a teenager is egged by his friends to indulge in immoral actives he weighs the things on a spiritual scale and decides to keep his loyalty to God. Such teenagers can also prove to be an asset for their friends as they can even stop their friends from going on the wrong side. It also helps them to divert their energy in productive tasks and learning various skills that can form a base for their successful professional. As an immediate reward that helps them to get distinct achievements at an early age.

Scientific experiments support spirituality

According to Miller’s book, there are sufficient examples to establish the importance of spirituality in the upbringing o the child. The brain structure of the children who are raised in a spiritual environment reveals that their instinctive parts are better connected to the frontal cortex the commanding brain via flexible passageways. It helps in the wholesome personality development of the child where he can establish a harmonious relation between different traits and aspects to form a wholesome personality.

Spirituality shields children from depression

Spirituality can be an excellent solution for families whose hierarchy is prone to depression. Miller’s research shows that if a child from such families shares a spiritual belief of his mother, his chances of getting affected by the heretical depression reduces by as much as 80%. Harsh parenting, even if done with good intentions may stunt a child’s psychological growth and to the worst, it can completely devastate their lives. However, spirituality can come to the rescue here. The spirituality also saves a child from the negative impact of life on them.

Effects of Spirituality on teenagers

Once the teenage children have a better sense of transcendent relationship allows the person to draw himself from material desire. It is largely supported by research conducted that is been proven by FMRI research conducted by Miller and her colleagues. The brains who are trained to believe in God can effectively restrain the impulse towards substance abuse.

Amazing effects of spirituality on professional excellence

Interestingly the spirituality also helps your child to have a thriving professional career. Right from the beginning, the children are told to consider the work as a form of worship. That makes them more attached to their work. They feel a certain belongingness to the work that is completely different from looking at the work as mere means to earn some income. It is even much better than regarding your job as your hobby. It may look easier to get a good position by demoting your colleagues or subordinates but that achievement is short-lived and impedes one’s real growth. It is an ideal way is to polish your mettle to grow professionally as that assures real development. But the spiritual persons one mile ahead and instead of being self-centric they also ensure the fair growth of their subordinates and co-workers that require more skills and robust performance. Thus, it allows them to excel at the job.

What, if the parents are non-believers

The situation is even trickier for the parents who are disbelievers. They try to change the topic if they are asked about God or spirituality by the children. Toys, chocolates, or tales may trick the children briefly but they return with their flurry of questions. Many parents consider it alright to pass on their thoughts to the children by telling them to shun all those things as mere mythology. But the question is not about spirituality here. Beliefs are personal assets and by passing your belief to your children you might affect their individual development. The least you can do is to offer some easy kid-friendly resources to explore the subject further. You can offer those CDs, kid books, and other similar resources. But a child needs to get parental advice.

A better approach would be to take the help of your spouse if he is a believer. Allow him or her to guide the child and help in his spiritual development. The research suggests that the children who are denied their spiritual curiosity end up having a fragmented sense of self. When a child explores any new thing, he not only knows about the external aspect but also discovers some latent part of his self, his mind to be more precise. Besides, spirituality is very closely associated with the self. If your child does not get answers to his spiritual curiosity, it will also affect his self-identity.

Children are wired to be spiritual

Besides the children are wired to spiritual. They have sympathy for every being including eh insects. They are very sensitive and even a little louder voice or scold them lightly can bring tears to their eyes. They don’t discriminate against people based on money, race, and gender. As they grow a bit older, they would out of their way to help the people in need. As against the adults, they are not calculative and would reveal their thoughts easily to anyone without hiding them. Many of you may have watched with surprise the concentration part of the children. When you see your child engage in a creative or favorite activity for hours at a stretch, those who can observe well would agree that it is not very different than meditation. When a child gets bruised or wounded by a stone, he beats it back. We may say that it’s just childishness. But more research may be required to see if the children can feel the consciousness more intensely than us and see it even in non-living things.

So with this article, we understand the significance of Spirituality in the lives of children, the peaceful impact it brings in them and the change that occurs in their lives as they grow. Children are said to be the reflection of their parents or guardians. So, its the responsibility of parents to teach the importance of spirituality and humanity in the lives of their kids to see them grow as a better human.

You can contact the below number incase of any spiritual help or advice.

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