Is 7 too old to be christened?

[SingleMum01]

I never got round to it early, too knackered, going through too much at home etc. But would really like my DS to be christened. Has anyone had it done at that age?

They're getting to the age where they can make their own decision, but they're not going to be able to do that without being taken to church. We've had the occasional child in our church who have come on their own, gone into Sunday school, and attended church that way, supervised by a responsible adult, so it IS possible to do it without the parents attending - but not ideal.

And no, they wouldn't be immersed. It would just be a wetting of the head - but they could probably make their own vows (but surely only if they believe in God themselves?)

By age 7, I think most churches will expect them to make their own responses, in the same way as adults do - it's different with babies, where the parent answers on their behalf. When DS was baptised, we had to go along to I think 4 classes, a week apart, to talk through what baptism means and why we wanted to do it. It was with 2 other families. But at age 7, they will want to talk the children through what it is about, and might suggest they come to Sunday School (or whatever they call their childrens groups) for a while to make sure they have a reasonable understanding of what it's about. I doubt they'd just baptise them without a reasonable amount of preparation, as "because grandfather wants us to", isn't usually counted as a proper committment in itself!

Would it help to look at what they'd have to say in a baptism service? The words of the CofE ones are certainly available online - I always suggest that if people are uncertain, they should read through the words and decide whether they can stand up in public and say that's what they believe! It's really up to your DC whether they believe.

I don't think you need to be at all dishonest about it - you can say to the clergy that your father has been talking to you about it, and you felt it was right to bring them to church and let them decide for themselves, even though it's not something you believe in yourself.

It will be hypocritical if your children do not believe: at their age, your beliefs have less to do with it. My parents were not Christians, I became a Christian quite early and went to church on my own as a child. But I wouldn't risk a situation where a 7yo responds candidly "no, I'm not going to believe in God, but my granddad wanted me to come here".

A Catholic parish I attended baptised lots of people of different ages, none by immersion. There was usually a big Easter night baptism session during midnight mass, plus a lot of ceremonies during the year. I don't think Catholic churches in general do immersion, preferring the symbolic splashing of the head with holy water, accompanied by anointing with chrism and the blessing prayers. If the church you approach insists on immersion (which would be very strange) you can always do it elsewhere.

The question of receiving First Communion will possibly come up if your DCs are 7, as this is First Communion age, possibly doing this on the same day as the baptism, and often Reconciliation (Confession) accompanies First Communion. Have you decided to do this as well? There would definitely be preparatory sessions for these sacraments, but my recollection of DCs doing First Communion prep lessons was lots of colouring, focusing on families, love, sharing, helping, God's invitation to us to share his love and being kind to people; nothing like the learn-it-off type of stuff I had to do in school. I would imagine any Baptism prep would be similarly focused on what a child could expect to grasp of love and family, approached from the pov of the child and not old theological definitions and imperatives.