CHILDREN
Nurturing children’s spirituality
If we keep the minds of our children open to spirituality, they can only but show the traits we would hope to see in ourselves. Nurturing your child’s spirituality could be your most valuable legacy.
by Julie-Ann Harper M
any of us seek enlightenment or the spiritual path when we tire of consumerism and
seek nourishment for our soul. My observation is that, when individuals hit the age of 40+ they start to seek spirituality or question: Why am I here? What is living in the now? What is my spirit and who am I really? What do I want from life?… and on it goes. When we seek to or learn to live a
spiritual life, we are learning to look inside of ourselves. Inside we find our ‘true self’ or ‘spirit’. Our spirit is the source of our happiness, self- confidence, power, and guidance. Our spirit is the true self.
40 MAY 2017
THE SPIRITUAL WORLD OF CHILDREN “A child raised with spiritual skills will be able to answer the most basic questions about how the universe works. They will understand the source of creativity both within and outside themselves. They will be able to practice non-judgment, acceptance and truth, and they will be free from crippling fear and anxiety about the meaning of life that is the secret dry rot inside the hearts of most adults.” [Deepak Chopra] If we keep the minds of our
children open to spirituality, they can only but show the traits we would hope to see in ourselves: love, compassion and service; honesty and authenticity; physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual clarity; wisdom and understanding; responsibility and discipline; tolerance and patience; serenity and personal freedom; faith, trust, and inner security; gratitude, humility, and willingness; hope, happiness, joy, and humour; connection with nature, and everyday life; living in the present moment; a sense of
wonder and reverence to life; a sense of purpose and place in the universe. Dr. Mollie Painton is a nationally
recognised lecturer on play therapy and the spirituality of children. Over the past thirty years Dr. Painton has worked with spiritual boys and girls from diverse populations. In the role of friend, confidante, and helper it has become clear to her that all children are at least potentially spiritual, while many are astonishingly gifted. Her compelling and unique book Encouraging Your Children’s Spiritual Intelligence highlights that spiritual kids are: • Messengers of love to the world • Intimate with ‘truth’ • Wise beyond their ages and experiences
• Healers mending the wounds of loss, judgment, abuse, hate, indifference, disease, and violence
• Determined to unite all in love and peace • Sensitive individuals with open hearts & minds
• Seeking to find one another • Compassionate beings who feel the pain of others
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