​ The cheats way to grow faith at home this summer: 'read-alouds'

Would you love to be able to grow faith in your family this summer, but are feeling low on energy and ideas? What if I could give you one simple idea which would help? Read a book together. Yes, just one good book.

How?

Connection

Research into passing on faith has revealed that one of the most important factors in whether our children will continue in faith into adulthood is the connection they have with their parents. Read-alouds are a brilliant and fairly effortless way to do this, creating a time to spend together where the activity is already created by someone else.

This can take the form of a snuggle on the sofa reading a book together, or a moment around a table with drinks and a snack and a quick chapter.

Top tip:

Make it last longer by adding hot food (hot chocolate and a warmed pastry will work - it takes longer to eat!) and a simple activity to keep hands busy while ears are listening. We love colouring, modelling with wax or Fimo or play dough, but anything which isn’t too noisy will work (Lego, I’m looking at you!). Just make sure it’s enjoyable, as obviously a task-based approach is unlikely to create the connection you’re after.