Catholic rosary w/ kids?

[anabelneri]

Hello! This "term" my older daughter and I have been praying the Rosary on school days. We're at the point where she's unhappy about it because she finds it boring... how do you help them through this? (We're also having the same issue about Mass but that's a different ballgame).

 

Thanks! I'm really hopeful someone will have some ideas!

 

:)

[2squared]

This won't be helpful, but we decided to not pray the rosary with the kids. The kids detest praying it, and neither dh nor I have an affinity toward the rosary. I had started praying it with them trying to be a "good" Catholic family, but it just didn't fit our family culture.

[Avila]

Could you just break it up into decades and do one at each meal and two at bedtime? That would reduce the time commitment and maybe some of the boredom. We also have the Fr. Lovasik rosary book, and the pictures also help.

[dsmith]

I would perhaps do a decade with her. Another idea is to use the coloring page below, and get some glitter crayons, and have her color in the beads as she goes. Maybe only a full 5 decades once a week with one decade the rest of the week won't be as boring. My mom had a rosary video for kids, but I don't remember what it was like. I would also check on etsy or other sites. I remember seeing something with knit roses somewhere that was very sweet. If I can find it I will post later... I don't require my son to recite it, but he does listen to it. I have some rosary apps on my ipod and Android phone with beautiful pictures, and the beads need to be swiped to go to the next prayer. Some have audio, others don't.

 

http://www.christiancoloring.com/cmpdf2005/Coloring%20Rosary.pdf

[mommaduck]

I believe there are bracelets with just one decade.

[CatMomof3]

My mother writes and publishes Catholic prayer books. She has a book geared for 6-9 year olds - Speak, Lord, I am Listening

 

It is a Scriptural Rosary, so you are reading scripture along with praying the Rosary, and looking at watercolors. It might help your daughter focus.

 

My children and I start the morning with a decade a day.

 

Disclosure: my mother does write these and "hires" my sister and myself to help with the company. I also feel a little weird "pushing" the book - but it really is a great book.

 

http://www.sufferingservant.com is the website

[nono]

Well, when I was in school we used to have a lot of spit ball fights during the rosary...You laugh (or shudder :tongue_smilie:), but I have fond memories of those days, and I still like to pray the rosary.

[Ellesmere]

Don't know if this will help your older one, since mine is younger. But my daughter loves singing the Hail Mary in Latin or saying it in different languages.

 

We only do one decade at a time and read a verse for each Hail Mary bead from a book called The New Rosary in Scripture. On familiar verses, if I pause, she often fills in the blank or finishes the verse. She also has a children's book that I bought from Catholic Heritage Curricula or she looks at art prints that go with the mystery.

[mom2a&z]

We sometimes say the Rosary in the car. It takes us about 20 minutes to get anywhere so it's the perfect time.

[ElizaG]

A few more ideas... nothing very original, but just in case there's something here you haven't thought of:

 

Take turns leading the decades

 

Include your own prayer intentions for each decade

 

Have a set of beautiful pictures (in a book, printed on cards, etc.) representing the mysteries

 

Add a short litany of prayers to patron saints and other favorite saints at the end

 

Have cookies, hot chocolate, or some other treat afterward :)

Edited November 1, 2011 by Eleanor

[brownie]

We've made those knotted fleece blankets for babies about to be born. I measure it out so there are exactly the number of knots as Hail Mary's and we recite as we knot, taking turns. Brownie

[Parrothead]

Take it outside.

 

Go on a walk and say the rosary (10 fingers are great for keeping track).

Go on a nature hike and say the rosary.

Sit on the front porch and say a decade (or a Hail Mary) for each person you see.

[K&Rs Mom]

My mother writes and publishes Catholic prayer books. She has a book geared for 6-9 year olds - Speak, Lord, I am Listening

 

It is a Scriptural Rosary, so you are reading scripture along with praying the Rosary, and looking at watercolors. It might help your daughter focus.

 

We really like this book! My kids were upset when dh led a rosary the other day and didn't know to use it. :)

 

We also like the Holy Heroes cd's - they're led by kids, with a short reading before each prayer, to help more of a meditation on the mysteries instead of just reciting. They have coloring books too, but I haven't tried that.

 

What worked for us was these ways of inserting more of the "story" with each mystery. If dc is just repeating, that *is* boring - mine do better with reminders of what they're supposed to be focusing on.

[Mama2Many4]

My mother writes and publishes Catholic prayer books. She has a book geared for 6-9 year olds - Speak, Lord, I am Listening

 

It is a Scriptural Rosary, so you are reading scripture along with praying the Rosary, and looking at watercolors. It might help your daughter focus.

 

My children and I start the morning with a decade a day.

 

Disclosure: my mother does write these and "hires" my sister and myself to help with the company. I also feel a little weird "pushing" the book - but it really is a great book.

 

http://www.sufferingservant.com is the website

 

Thank you so much for posting that! I just ordered one and had no idea it existed! Thanks again!

[justamouse]

Some days my kids like it more than others. :D I try and make sure they're intending them for something that is special to them. That way they have an investment in it.

 

We use aids-books, pamphlets, and everyone gets a rosary--which is especially fun to tease the kitten with. ;)