As the post-Christmas routine returns, it’s consistency—not motivation or goals—that shapes lasting faith in our homes. Anna Hawken shares how small, daily habits help children and parents grow deeper roots in God together
Every January, when the decorations come down, and the bank balance is seemingly empty, our attention naturally drifts towards the coming year. Perhaps we might even look forward to a sense of routine and normality, after weeks of travelling, family gatherings and a whole host of nativities and parties (with a new costume each time to boot). Sometimes the post-Christmas rush can feel like a bumpy crash landing.
It’s a challenge, and an opportunity I face every year with my family. When the nights draw in, and there are no twinkling lights to lift our spirits, it can feel like the long slog of winter is really just beginning. But this is also a powerful and poignant moment to reflect on what a normal life of faith looks like without all the Christmas extras.
so many new years’ resolutions start out strong, but falter come February
Consistency over motivation
The classic trap we fall into is trying to do it all in our strength, even our relationship with God. If we’re not careful, it can become a tick-box exercise. With every new year, I think there’s a real danger in the constant drive to better ourselves. There’s not a lot of grace in glamorous vision boards, new year’s resolutions or goal-setting.
It’s easy to start a new habit - the dopamine hit of something new and shiny fuels our motivation. But once the going gets tough, our goals have lost their shiny veneer. This is why so many new years’ resolutions start out strong, but falter come February (an incredible 80% have ‘failed’ by the end of the first month). But here’s what we miss in the ‘new year, new me’ rhetoric: it’s consistency that builds a faith, a marriage, and a parent.
Rather than lofty, unattainable goals I focus on connecting with God as a normal part of everyday life
Building everyday faith habits
Rather than lofty, unattainable goals I focus on connecting with God as a normal part of everyday life. We’ve probably all been stuck with trying to get our kids to read and love the Bible and are wondering if a new routine or resource will help. I want them to come to love Jesus as we do, and to enjoy reading the Bible. I found that instead of structuring this as another thing to be completed on the neverending to-do list, simply sharing what I had learned from my ‘Bible Recap’ podcast sparked curiosity. Similarly, we actively try to leave the Bible out on the kitchen table or in the car. Sometimes modelling can be the most subtle yet effective parenting tool we have at our disposal.
The acorn that becomes an oak
This year at Parenting for Faith, we are launching a new initiative called ‘Deeper, Rooted, Lasting’ - because we want all Christian parents and carers to be equipped with skills and tools to help their children and young people discover and grow faith that is rooted, goes deep, and lasts a lifetime. We asked ourselves: what does it take to build a lifetime of faith, journeying with God throughout the mountains and the valleys of life? We concluded that it was through approaching faith like an acorn, which when planted and given the right conditions to grow, will become a sturdy oak tree, able to withstand any storm thrown its way. This growth may be unseen at first, but it is steady, strong and enduring.
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The reality is that as a parent or carer, we can feel too busy to nurture our own faith, let alone our children’s. But busyness is not the whole story. It’s the mental load, overstimulation and constant distraction that can make growing our faith feel impossible.
This is why finding ways to connect with God and nurture faith as part of our normal everyday lives matters. A conversation over breakfast about where God was when we were sleeping, a short prayer while cooking dinner or a shared worship song in the car, is far more organic and natural. Being aware of God, connecting with Him and learning about him as part of everyday life gives space for children and teenagers to grow a two-way thriving relationship with God that can last a lifetime.
