I have been researching homeschooling children in Krsna consciousness, and I think I have a good idea how to go about educating my children when they are a little older. Right now my children are only 1 and 2 1/2. I understand that at their age I should be focusing on character development, but I'm not really sure how to engage them.
Our nearest temple is 1 1/2 hours away, and service is in the evening. When we go we get home very late and they are exhausted and grumpy the following day. I have been trying to establish a morning program at home but it is extremely difficult, I can't seem to find a way to make it work. Are they too young for something like this?
I am also trying to keep them away from tv, though often this too is difficult. I am trying to find ISKCON programs, like Little Krsna and dramas, is this acceptable?
I want more than anything that my kids learn Krsna Consiousness but I'm really not sure how to go about it. How do you engage very young children?
Replies
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
What I have seen is that children never do waht we say, they have a way of doing what we do. They floow our actions, not our words. Therefore chanting and doing arati in front of them is a good idea. Give them toy deities and toy arati paraphernalia once they see you doing arati. Then their play will be doing arati. Showing little Krsna videos is a good way of telling them stories and keeping them engaged.
There are games we make children play on occassions - like Janmashtami, I put up a children's games stall. One of the games is - how many times can you say the mahamantra in one minute.
Keep telling them KRsna stories mataji. Read from Krsna book every night before they sleep. Nowadays, tehre are a lot of children's story books and activity books related to KC. Pls get them from your local temple next time you visit.
The more you associate with devotees and engage in Krsna Conscious activities, the more your children will pick up and do just that.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD