Does it matter when you pray with your child? Soon after my son started middle school, I stopped praying with him when I tucked him in at night. Actually, I had stopped tucking him in altogether, opting instead to just give him a hug after he'd changed into pajamas and reminding him to say a prayer before he fell asleep. As parents begin to pull back to allow more independence, it's sometimes hard to know where to draw the lines. I had decided my middle schooler no longer needed my presence when he went to bed, but I desperately missed that bonding time with him. Was there another way I could connect with him on a more grown-up level? When he told me about the boy at church who prayed each morning with his mother, I admit I got worried. I was afraid he was going to think it was babyish and cheesy, that a big kid didn't need such mushy stuff. He had entered the age where cool was the rule, and I was certain daily prayer with mom wasn't cool. I was wrong. My son thought … [Read more...]