Real Moms Talk

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