My Son Is Winning at Lent

In this family, we are not giver-uppers for Lent. (Unless you’re talking about exercise programs or diets—then we totally are.) For Lent, I encourage my kids to do something extra, like help a family member, do something thoughtful for a friend, be nicer to a sibling, reach out to others, etc. Part of this stance is because I think doing something extra is more meaningful. Part of it is because I can’t be bothered to give up bacon on Fridays (or any day for that matter).

My daughter Erin totally gets this concept just fine. My son Colin—not so much. He’s still in that Black & White mode of being young (he’s 8), and that’s fine. Recently, he brought this Lent worksheet home from school.

Lent

When you read this, my son seems so sweet and genuine, and you think maybe he’s getting a handle on this Lent thing. And then you realize that his favorite video game is on the Xbox so giving up the Wii isn’t that big of a deal. He may only be 8, but he’s totally winning at Lent.

Well played, son. Well played.

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10 Responses

  1. My son said he would give up Legos. This would have been great when he was between the ages if 6-10 because it would have saved me money and my sanity from yelling at him to put the damn pieces away. I pointed out that he no longer plays with them so it was not a valid thing to give up…he just smiled and walked away.

  2. My daughter tried to give up showering. Upon hearing this, my son said he wanted to give up homework. Clearly, they don’t get the concept of giving up something they like!

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