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.
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.
10 Responses
Don’t be fooled, at 6 they’re veritably diabolical!
This is true. You’d think I’d know this by now.
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.
Yep, they play the game well.
Our family Lenten promise was to not eat food prepared outside the home. I’m sure you can guess how long that lasted.
3 days?
7.
We have also only managed 1 meatless Friday. And we didn’t go meatless on Ash Wednesday.
#badCatholics
You made a Lenten promise. You’re already a better catholic than I am.
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!
Either that or they have it perfectly figured out.