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Famology
Providing practical, insightful, and Biblical answers to your questions about family, marriage, and parenting.
Famology
More Than Songs: Meeting Jesus as a Toddler
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How do we help our toddlers truly know Jesus—not just know about Him? In this episode, we share simple, everyday ways to introduce your little one to the person of Jesus through love, connection, and authentic faith at home.
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Welcome to FAMology. We're Johnny and Amy Claussen, and we are here to answer your questions about marriage, parenting, and family. And so today, as we're talking about toddlers, if you have questions about your toddler or anything else that has to do with your family, you can just you can just leave those. Um go to gofam.org and there's a spot in there for podcasts, and you can leave a question right on our website. We'd love to hear from you. Also, if you have ideas about what we're talking about today, you can also leave comments below or just reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you. So, John, we have a question about toddlers today. I'm gonna read it for us. How do I introduce my toddler to Jesus? I don't want my toddler to only know about Jesus, but I want him to know the person of Jesus. And actually, this is one of my favorite, favorite topics. Um, but I want to hear from you first.
SPEAKER_01So to answer your question, um, I'm a veggie tail guy. Yeah, you know, so a lot of songs and a lot of Bible stories you learn from Veggie Tales. And it's one of the most quotable things in our home, if you think about it. I mean, there's a few movies along the way. Yeah, like Princess Bride, you know, is highly quoted. Um and what's that other one?
SPEAKER_03The um the guy with the big blue head. Mega mind. Megamind. It feels like Megamind's very well quoted.
SPEAKER_01When the kids quiz me and I don't know the answer, I usually just go with Mega Mind. Yeah, but we do a lot of movie quotes. But VeggieTales is very quotable and you learn a lot, you know, and so that's really good. But the heart of this question is how do you get past that and make it so it's real, right? Um, you know, for your toddlers. Uh certainly a um a challenge for sure. Yeah. Um, I I think for me, I think the biggest issue, and I and I'm really curious what you're gonna say because you're kind of a master at this, but um talk about him like he's in the room.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's great.
SPEAKER_01And I that's that's my main point, I guess, is is if he is just a story, yeah, and we frame him as a story, then he'll always just be a story. And and it doesn't take long before kids get older and it just becomes a fairy tale story. Yeah, and we don't ever want Jesus to be that. And so just as I would talk about our parents or somebody else who doesn't live with us, as if they're a real person in a reality of our lives, yeah. Um, that's the way I want to talk about God because that because that's that's who he is to me. And I think kids at a really early age will realize that Jesus isn't any different than Uncle Phil, you know? It's like um He's a little different than Uncle Phil. On so many levels, but on so many levels. Love you, Uncle Phil. Um, but uh, but the reality of who he is in our lives. Uncle Phil's a great guy, and he comes and he goes, and he he's part of part of our issues of our daily life. Yeah. Uncle Phil probably wasn't the best example. I I love I love you so much, brother. He's my brother. Um, one of the funniest people that I know on the planet, and and that our kids just absolutely love him. So I think he is a good example. Um, however, um, you know, Jesus is this guy that lives with us each and every day, and he's part of our lives, and he's not some far-off fairy tale kind of guy. And so um, so the stories are good, veggie tales are good, all these things are fine, yeah. Um, but we really want to make him part of our everyday, yeah. Um, and so that they're aware of him always.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. What a when I read this question, um, I instantly flashed back into my mind to when our Silas, who's now 17, was probably three, and you were worshiping just in our home. You had your guitar and you were just singing and worshiping the Lord, and you ended up laying on your back in the Lord's presence singing. You're just playing guitar, laying on your back, singing and just worshiping the Lord. And I walked into the room, and our Silas, who was three, was laying on his back right next to you with his little plastic electric guitar because he was watching you worship and he was mimicking what you were doing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And you were lost in worship and oblivious to the that our son was laying next to you. But I I feel like um one of the things that as moms and dads, one of the very most important things that we can do with our children, whether they're toddlers or whether they're 18, is allow them to see a glimpse of our personal relationship with Jesus. And that He, you know, be verbal about it. And and I know because I have been a mom for a long time, that having our quiet times when our children are napping and when um, you know, before they get up in the morning or stealing those quiet moments is super important. And I am not, I can't contradict that. But I would, I would just recommend taking some public, not private time with the Lord where you just even sit down and you read one psalm at two o'clock in the afternoon where your children actually watch you interacting with the Lord. And it it's gonna get interrupted, it's not gonna be like this perfect time where you're having just elaborate encounters with God, usually. He can do whatever he wants to do. But having those times where you're showing them a living relationship with the Lord, and they're watching you walk that out. And so um when we are reading this reading scripture, whether we're worshiping, whether we're praying, I remember one time when my kids were little and there was an election coming up, and and we were, it was actually election day, and I loaded all my kids up into our 15-passenger van and we went to the coffee shop and we got everybody, we we didn't do that because there were so many of them that it's expensive. So this was a special occasion, but we went to the coffee shop and everybody got a hot chocolate and mama got a chai. If you know me, you know that's my my beverage of choice. That's your go-to. Yes. And we went on a prayer drive that November morning. And I remember we took um salt with us, and out the doors we were we were just prophetically shaking salt on the ground and being like, Lord, let our city be hungry and thirsty for you. Let it let it be a place that is just thirsting after the kingdom of God, that we would see things the way you see things. And we just all prayed out loud. And I had uh this opportunity to pray with my children in a way that maybe you would typically think, you know, we do these intercessory prayer walks, or that this is an adult activity. I would just exhort you to invite your children into those typically adult activities. Make a few adjustments so it's fun for your kids, like hot chocolate and snacks in the back. Um, but they would be aware of the important things that are happening in the kingdom and their prayers matter too.
SPEAKER_01I mean, this question is about toddlers, and yet um what we in our experience, they're like sponges. Yeah, they are, and so don't don't think they don't get it. Yeah, because they do, and uh and and and they they will absorb even just the atmosphere of what's happening, yeah. Um, but even more profound than that. I mean, they they they hear from the father because there's just no filter, and there's just such a purity about them. And so it like Amy said, it's just that immersion into those things and and this idea of sending them into a different room, um, you know, doesn't always settle with us a little bit because we we want them to be central to what's happening in the room. And and that doesn't mean that they're a part of conversations that don't belong to them or that are too adult. That's not what we're saying, but but that that time of worship and that time of serving him in those places, toddlers can absorb that. That's really the heart of this question. Is we we uh I love the the heart of this mother who who wants their toddler to be so connected in an authentic way at an early age and and and not just be stories. Yeah, that's a beautiful question. And and I love that because that's really what it's all about. And I just I just believe and we believe that they can absorb that really early on.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they can. I'm gonna tell another story.
SPEAKER_01In utero, maybe. I mean, you know what I mean? And the studies have actually shown that that's true.
SPEAKER_03John, so when did he what did he do in response to the savior of the world in another womb?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, our kids, they are they are perceptive. And I I remember going on a hike one day as a family. We were actually on our oldest son's graduation trip in Colorado, and our daughter Sadie was three at the time, and we were hiking, and she began to describe to us what she was seeing. Yes, and she was seeing angels in various places on our hike, and we all stopped and were like, Sadie, tell us more of what you're seeing. Where is it? She described it. Describe it to us, tell us what this looks like. And she was three and just telling us what she saw. Yeah. But when we're aware that our children can perceive the supernatural and maybe things that we're moving too fast that we miss, you know, we can we can take a second and ask them to describe, or even walk into a room as we're tucking in our babies and just say, Angels, we thank you that you're here because they are. We have angels that guard us. That's what scripture says. That's not weird. So, Holy Spirit, open our eyes so that our children and we can see it, that they would be the ones that are having and aware that the supernatural is all around them.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And uh, do you have something to jump on?
SPEAKER_01Well, no, I was just gonna say awareness of the supernatural is all around you. Well, you know, we see that all throughout scripture, the supernatural happening in these people's lives, and they become quote unquote stories that we hear. And I I think it's critical um with all of our lives, this this translates beyond toddlerhood. Yes. Um, but that that we that we implement those stories into our real life so that these stories become real life stories, yeah. Um, so that they're not just stories. Yeah. And so when they prayed and laid hands on people and they were and they recovered, yeah, um, when you know, when they when they operated in the supernatural, why can't we do that too? I think that's that's the whole point of scripture. Yeah. Um, Jesus said that we would do greater things than even he did.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, so if that's true, then you know, these these stories of great faith that we see throughout scripture, well, let's that let that be part of our house. Yeah. So, you know, when somebody is hurting or sick, why don't we pray for them? Because that's what Paul did. Yeah, you know what I mean? And then we so we see that and we and we take these stories and um and and run with it. I think that's when it becomes real life. Yeah, that's the heart of this question. How do we make Jesus real life?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's how you do it is by implementing and have faith for it, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I have a dear friend of mine that every Sunday driving to church, uh all the kids are loaded up into her van. They pray every morning and just Lord, show us what you're doing today, encounter us as we come into church, show us who we can minister to so that the kids are are aware that it's gonna be an interaction. Church isn't a destination or something we do. Church is a place that we go to be encountered by God and we go to help others be led into encounter. And so, just you know, on Sunday mornings, taking that second with your your we ones in the car, and they're already loaded in their car seats. And we think that they don't it understand, but I but their spirits do. And so as they're young and they grow up in the awareness that God is there to be encountered and wants to encounter us, it it transitions them from yes, we we are gripping and understanding a story to we understand that actually we are living a story of what a life looks like to be encountered by God. And it's a beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_01It's it's stunning. And our our kids, our kids will blow us away if we just let them, if we just allow them, if we ask them questions, what what are you seeing? Um what is the spirit saying to you? Um they'll blow you away. Yeah. I just we've seen it over and over and over again. And uh, and so it a toddlerhood all the way up into adulthood, yeah. Um, this is the this is the experiences that we live together. And Jesus is real and and he is um you know part of our lives, and he does inject himself into the big and little things and the decisions that we make in our in our day-to-day, and and that's the reality. Yeah, and when that becomes reality in your home, it becomes reality to them. Yeah, and so it's it's it's beautiful.
SPEAKER_03It is beautiful.
SPEAKER_01That's fun, it's a privilege, it is, you know, because he's he's good like that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I have you know, there's so many things to be said on this topic. Um, but because we're limiting it to toddlers, toddler-ish, yeah, um, I the only other thing that I think is a a really great tangible uh opportunity is to uh bring your child alongside. Uh and you alluded to this, to pray for somebody who is sick, to pray for somebody who's in a cast, to to when you see an ambulance driving down the road, that you as a family pause and you pray and for miraculous intervention for whatever trauma is going on that's affecting lives, um, to to begin to look for areas that you can just come alongside together and do the things that are the the hands and feet of the kingdom of God. Um, toddlers love to do it and and they aren't resistant, they're not embarrassed. I mean, this is a great age to get them used to stepping out in faith when it's just normal life for them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Which takes more faith. You know, we're gonna have to overcome our insecurities a little bit more to go up to the person in the cast and ask them if you can pray than our toddlers will. They have they have no reservation about that. So step out with them. Step out with them.
SPEAKER_01How old was Sadie when she painted the hand picture?
SPEAKER_03Probably three or four.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so three or four year old and and was just doing some artwork and and painted a hand just on a piece of paper. And you asked her, um, you know, what was it, what is it? What is this hand?
SPEAKER_03And she said she said it was the hand of Jesus healing people.
SPEAKER_01And so we have a dear friend, Kristen, who received that picture from Sadie, and it travels with her all around the world. Sadie's hand of healing, a picture that she painted. Um, so what impact does a three-year-old have? Well, more than way more than we know. Yeah. And uh and so why not start at that early age? And and I so I love this question, and I'm so thankful.
SPEAKER_03Have fun doing it.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_03I mean, you're gonna grow together. I guarantee you, as you partner with your children to want to interact with the supernatural, he's going to encounter the whole family. It'll be glorious.
SPEAKER_01Take us home, baby.
SPEAKER_03All right. So, Lord Jesus, we are thankful that living as kids in the kingdom of God is the greatest adventure of our lives. And we thank you that as families, we don't live segmented in um in tiny little sections of, well, they can only understand this and they can only understand this, or now they're ready for this. We thank you that family is this both and in the kingdom of God, that our children can be drawn into your presence with no limitations. It doesn't have to be anchored on understanding or the ability to articulate. It just is because you are good. And the Holy Spirit is good, deeply good in one-year-olds, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and 50-year-olds. You are magnificent. Yes. And we love you, and we thank you that our families are making great impact for the kingdom of God.
SPEAKER_00If you would like to submit a question for our show for Don and Amy to answer, just go to our website at GoFam.org and submit through the Contact Me page on our website. How you can partner with us is by finding us on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, wherever you listen to your podcast, and follow us there. Like, comment, interact with us so that we can boost our engagement in the region more people.