How to Explain Baptism to a Child
Baptism is a religious ceremony performed under Christianity and symbolises a person's purification, and admission into the Church. When a child or baby is baptised, it is often accompanied by the giving of their name. When young children attend a baptism, or are to be baptised themselves, it can be a confusing concept for them as they may not fully understand why it is they are being baptised. Here at oneHOWTO, we're going to advise how to explain baptism to a child, so they can understand why a person is baptised, and what happens during a baptism.
Children tend to be curious about the world around them, and asking questions is part of a child growing up and exploring the reasons why things happen. They often have difficult answers such as how to explain to a child where babies come from. When it comes to the question of baptism, it's important to try and explain it in the simplest way. Baptism represents Jesus' death for our sins, and our own baptism is the washing away of our own sins and the purification of ourselves before our admission to the Church.
This leads to the part of baptism that children may be most familiar with. The sprinkling of the holy water represents the washing away of sins. This is usually considered a fresh, pure start of a life beginning with Christ.
It sometimes helps to use visual aids to help explain certain topics to children. Perhaps consider using a picture or story book so that the child knows what to expect at a baptism, whether it be theirs or somebody else's.
A baptism of a young child is also a time where they are officially given their Christian name, and where godparents are often chosen. If godparents have been chosen who are not immediate family, arrange an introduction to them for the child, and explain why they have been chosen to become a part of this child's life.
Although baptism is a part of Christianity, many people who are baptised are not necessarily practising Christians. Depending on your faith, this may be an important part to explain to a child, as to whether this is the beginning of them practising their faith as a Christian, or perhaps it is a tradition within your family. If you are interested in learning more about Christianity you may want to read about the deadly sins and their meaning.
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