S01E01 - Religion, Culture, and Kids

SUMMARY In this episode, moms discuss how
they introduced religion and the concept of God to their
children, how they incorporate culture into their daily lives,
and how they make all of it fun and interesting for the kids.


SHOW NOTES
All over the world as technology advances, mankind struggles to
balance generations of faith in God with modern life which is
grounded in science and convenience. How do we introduce the next
generation to the values we grew up with? Should we even try? Are
they still relevant today? And if we choose to, how do we develop
their relationship with God in today’s world?


These are some of the questions that a panel of five moms from
different religious backgrounds ponder as they discuss
approaching the subject of religion and culture with their kids.


THE PANEL


Akshaya (@andhowdoyoudo) talks about her family's aim to
introduce stories and traditions from multiple cultures so that
her daughter can grow up to choose what she finds most
applicable.


* Grace (@thegracelog), who comes from a traditional Christian
household, talks about reinventing some things for her son as he
grows up, while keeping a sense of community and joy intact.


* Nisha (@lovelaughmirch) is a Hindu-Punjabi settled in New
Jersey, and she speaks about bringing religion and culture alive
for her daughter, despite being far away from home.


* Ravijot (@shiningshower) whose daughter's first word was
'Vaheguru' speaks about bringing up a Sikh child in India, where
many festivals are celebrated in ways which don't align with
prescribed Sikh norms.


* Rooshna (@myrainbowquill) talks about moving her Islamic family
from the Middle East to India and its ramifications on how they
perceive and practice religion.


As is apparent from just this small panel, India is a melting pot
for a wide variety of cultures and religions which peacefully
coexist. It is vital that we pass on this sense of harmony to our
children even as we teach them about our own. Within a religion
as well, there is so much scope to adapt traditions to what works
best for each family. For instance, how two families follow Hindu
rituals is very different. Or, how a Sikh or Muslim family choose
to slightly alter the messages their parents had adopted for
them, growing up. Each panelist speaks about the ways in which
they've made traditions meaningful and true to their individual
circumstances.


Needless to say, it does upset status quo when traditions passed
down over generations are altered, even slightly. Discussions
about faith are rarely easy, since people feel very strongly
about what they’ve grown up believing. Spouses or extended family
may often feel very differently about religion, and the panelists
cover how they approached the topic of religion within their own
families, as they decided what to pass on to their
children. 


Religion, for many, is about finding a place of calm within
themselves. How do you translate that for children who are often
little bundles of energy? At what age can they begin to
understand it? While this is a very personal choice, the panel
weighs in with how they introduced religion themselves, and how
their children are processing it.


Tune in for some heart-melting nuggets which show that children
may often understand the core of faith better than adults! From
cutting a cake on ‘Babaji’s birthday’, to saying ‘Salam Alaikum’
to Ganesha as they pass a temple, this appears to be a generation
which truly understands that they do, rather than parroting what
they’re asked to do blindly. There is a lot of joy and trust as
the panel openly discuss how the idea of faith works as a
centering force for both