Jesse and Kathleen LeBlanc, Catholic musicians and parents of four children under five, have found creative ways to teach the faith.
Drawing from their experiences, they shared three tips to help families pray the Rosary with young children at home.
The couple mentioned on their Instagram account that starting the weekly rosary with their children was chaotic, so they sought ways to prepare them for this prayer.
Considering children's attention spans and cognitive development, they created these five steps for successfully praying the Rosary and shared them in a reel, narrated by Kathleen.
1) Change the environment.
Changing rooms in the house while praying the Rosary was a positive step.
“It’s awesome how a simple shift to our routine has made all the difference in the enjoyment of our family rosary time,” Kathleen said.
2) Incorporate image slides.
As the family begins to pray, they dim the lights and turn on the television, which displays images related to each mystery of the Rosary.
“As we pray, we go through a slideshow that I put together on Canva that includes one new picture for each mystery.
It’s so simple, but the kids (and let’s be honest, us too!) are drawn to focus on the image, ask questions about it, and start making sense of meditating on the mysteries of the rosary."
3) Ask questions before each mystery.
Before starting to pray the mystery, the parents ask their children what is happening in the image they see on television. This simple activity has helped the children to better understand Jesus' life.
"Before each mystery, we ask them if they can remember what’s happening in the picture. The more we do each mystery, the more they are remembering the details."
"...in general, they are picking up so much about the life of Jesus, and it’s allowing them have a helpful focal point amidst the natural distractions of praying with small kids. Our five-year old has been volunteering to lead decades lately, and it’s so sweet to hear."
The family stated that although tantrums and moments of anger persist, these are normal ups and downs. They encouraged parents to prioritize teaching children the faith despite the challenges.
"It’s awesome how a simple shift to our routine has made all the difference in the enjoyment of our family rosary time."
"Keep teaching the faith to your kids, especially when it’s hard - and get creative! It’s so worth it."