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Original poster

Explaining Easter to a 5 yr old?

24 replies

Grockle · 05/04/2011 19:32

DS has come home from school with all sorts of bizarre information and a strange understanding of Easter. We have been through key information and DS knows the main facts:

From school:
Jesus said he was the son of God
The soldiers were angry
Jesus had dinner and his friend, Judas, told the soldiers Jesus was there
They all went out to play in the garden Grin and Jesus was arrested

The soldiers put Jesus on a cross and he died (DS wanted details)
His body was put in a cave and the next day he'd gone because he was alive again

So, now DS wants to know where Jesus is? Did he die again? Is he here now?

I am Pagan so have told him what I believe and explained what I can re Jesus but I don't know how to explain the rest - any suggestions?

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Original poster
Grockle · 05/04/2011 21:46

Anyone?

He's come down twice tonight to find out if I've found Jesus yet Grin

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tomhardyismydh · 05/04/2011 21:54

he then ascended into heaven to be with god and all the angels.

some people belive jesus now has ever lasting life and in spirit he is all around us.

however also tell him some people dont belive any of this.

how old is your ds and how do you stand on him being given a christian ethos

be honest and frank about your own belifes and pagan spring equinox.

tribpot · 05/04/2011 21:59

Well my ds came home from school last year this time (he was 4) to tell me that Jesus died on the cross. But not when he was a baby, when he was a big daddy. But he still wanted to look after us, so he came back to life. At least, I think that's what he told me, I seem to remember I was on a conference call at the time!

How sweet that he wants to know if you've found Jesus :)

You could maybe explain that this all happened a long time ago so we're not exactly sure where Jesus is now? I hope that suggestion doesn't offend anyone - I'm an atheist but have no wish to upset anyone.

Original poster
Grockle · 05/04/2011 22:00

So, Jesus is in Heaven but is alive? Is everywhere? Is that like me believing that 'God' is everywhere because I believe in the power of nature and the universe? Confused

He is at a community (non-religious) infant school (he's 5) but constantly borrows bible stories from the library and takes what is said at school very seriously, so if Mrs Smith read a story about Jesus being the son of God, then in must be true. He knows my beliefs, Ostara, etc but is sure that I am wrong and is unwilling to accept that a) it's ok for me to believe what I do and b) that not everyone believes the same

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Original poster
Grockle · 05/04/2011 22:02

Oh, Trib, thats a good idea - about it all happening a long time ago. I'l tell him that tomorrow.

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tomhardyismydh · 05/04/2011 22:05

my take on the easter story as a catholic is yes he is alive in heaven.

Original poster
Grockle · 05/04/2011 22:10

And how do you explain that to a small child? How can someone be alive but not on earth?

I'm not trying to be awkward or disrespectful - I just want to know how to explain this to DS who WILL ask 'why?' & 'how?' and I want to explain it properly, rather than just telling him I don't know/ don't believe it.

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tomhardyismydh · 05/04/2011 22:12

well thats the norm for young infant school children, he will be more receptive to your own and other belife as he grows. just be sure to give him a balanced open discussion on it all if thats what you want for him.

could his teacher be giving a too biased view for a non church school? not that i would worry as he may be learning alot from her and like wise another perspective from somone else next year.

tomhardyismydh · 05/04/2011 22:25

i would look for a good childrens bible and read it with him and discuss it with him based on your and his understanding.

Original poster
Grockle · 05/04/2011 22:33

Thanks, Tom. I DO feel that the school are very strongly biased - he hasn't once mentioned ANY other religion or belief system - I have talked to him about Diwali, Passover etc but he's not learnt anything about that at school. Only about Jesus and that's he's now a Christian! Maybe I'll have to get a Bible for him.

I have already been summoned to see the Head when I was concerned about their religious teachings so I don't want to go back and make a fuss. I WANT him to learn about other religions but not just Christianity. And not that it is definitely true. I always teach RE as 'this is what some people believe'

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tribpot · 05/04/2011 22:42

I think you maybe need to explain that Jesus was a real person, and he believed in things that many of us think are good, like helping each other, and being friends and kind to one another. This fits in with the way you think about things because you believe in harmony and balance and that's how Jesus felt too.

I'm a bit ambivalent about Mrs Smith reading bible stories - I assumed my ds got his version of events from the very cool Rev Janice who does their end-of-term celebration, I don't think I'd be up for a form teacher reading to them.

Technically there are people who are alive and not on Earth, they are on the Space Station :) But that could prove a problematic solution down the line ...

BoattoBolivia · 05/04/2011 22:57

Grackle, I have had the same issues with my dd at a non religious primary school...everything the teacher says is gospel!! (I wish they still felt like that when I teach them in year 6 Grin).
As a committed atheist, I struggled not to wince when she insisted that she was a Christian, and bit my tongue (my husband was very impressed with my restraint). She has her own children's bible, which she reads to herself in bed (she is nearly 9 now).
However, I let her fill in her section on the census, and was very relieved to see her tick 'no religion'! When I questioned her , she said that she wasn't really a Christian. I'm sure that if I had made an issue of it earlier, she would have dug her heels in, but I just told her she could be a Christian if she wanted to.

BoattoBolivia · 05/04/2011 22:58

Sorry, self corrected, should say Grockle.

tomhardyismydh · 05/04/2011 23:00

you should explain to him he is not a christian, if you have not had him christaned, but he does have a right to explore it and belive in it but that other religions and belifes are important to other people and christians must aknowledge it.

my dd goes to a catholic school she is only just 5 and she has only been told about so far the christmas story and easter story nothing to heavy.

Original poster
Grockle · 06/04/2011 07:44

Trib! That's what I worry about- that he'll then start thinking Jesus is a spaceman or something. He does know that Jesus was real and did lots of good things because he was kind etc

Boatta, thats reassuring. I'm trying to support and explain and bite my tongue!

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JohannaM · 12/04/2011 10:58

Grockle: I'm surprised your son hasn't been taught about Passover as that was the very religious festival the observant Jew Jesus and his followers were celebrating at the time the Gospels tell us he was arrested!

I don't know your religious views but you need to make sure your child isn't being subtly indoctrinated - I find the notion that everything teacher says "must be true" rather worrying. Explain to him that these are stories that were written long after Jesus' death.

If you want real historical information, the first person to write about the alleged mystical significance of standard Jewish mealtime blessings of bread and wine and the bodily resurrection of Jesus was Paul, who never met the real life man!

DandyDan · 12/04/2011 17:07

If he is only five, he will not have had much chance to study a variety of faiths yet. Teachers tend to do blocks of weeks on a certain faith in RE - our local Year 1's have been studying a variety of stories and facts about the Jewish faith and culture this term. Schools usually are quite balanced about covering a variety of the major faiths.

I guess with a five yr old and Easter, you explain the story simply if they want to know more - that the Temple leaders were scared and angry that people were listening to Jesus and following his kind and loving way of life and weren't listening to them. So they got him into trouble and he was killed even though he hadn't done anything wrong. That afterwards, his friends who were very sad and lonely without him, suddenly found that Jesus was with them again and alive in a special way. That even they couldn't explain how it happened, and people remember Jesus still being alive in a special way even today at Easter.

Original poster
Grockle · 13/04/2011 08:00

I don't expect him to have studied anything but a mention of other festivals would be nice. I know he'll do more as he gets older. I'm just a bit miffed at him being taught, or at least performing, that the Christian stories are true and that there is no other way. I'll continue talking about other beliefs at home but it's hard when he thinks I am wrong because Mrs Smith said something else!

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Original poster
Grockle · 13/04/2011 08:01

Not performing, perceiving.. Posting on phone never works!.

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DandyDan · 13/04/2011 12:51

He's choosing to read books from the school library on the subject. There will be books in the library on other faiths, I imagine.

A school-teacher should be allowed to read bible stories to the children to teach them about elements of a faith's tradition and belief system/culture etc. An inspirational story-teller (whether a member of the clergy or not) can make the experience more enjoyable, of course. Whether the teacher said it was a "true story" or not, is possibly debatable, unless you have a handy CCTV recording of that lesson. If she got into a conversation with her class about "did it really happen" (which has elements of historical truth in it alongside elements of interpretation/faith/extrapolation), then I can't imagine the "truth" of it was debated by five yr olds. Jesus's death is a true story, the gospel accounts of his last days can be broadly taken as historical truth too. And something definitely happened after Jesus' death and burial, but people cannot agree what it was, and that's true too.

Original poster
Grockle · 13/04/2011 20:44

I agree that a teacher should read bible stories. In addition to tales from other faiths IMO, which seems to not be the case for DS ATM. I am sure his teacher did not say it IS true but the way information is presented makes a huge difference to the audience and small children often take everything a teacher says as fact IME unless told otherwise. I'm a teacher btw.

I wasn't intending to debate the ins & outs of collective worship & RE, I just wondered how to explain Jesus dying then not being dead any more to a child who wants explanations for things.

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pinkytheshrinky · 13/04/2011 21:01

My daughters attend a Catholic school and we are practising Catholics. The one thing that has struck them more than anything is that they really believe that Jesus loved them so much that he died for them. I know it too me until relatively recently to actually connect the iconic Jesus on a cross image with a real man - I know this sounds a bit daft but having had a namby pamby c of e education I never really connected with that.

Our Catholic school does lay it on really heavy re. the actual death/suffering and resurrection (older dd is almost 10) but they also learn about Jesus as an historical figure too an they are not only fascinated by the man by amazed by what he chose to do for them. They do learn about all sorts of religion at their school but in a very factual way.

I think if you are not religious explaining that Easter time is like a rebirth every year (of all the plants and flowers) and that is how you can explain it to a child. Last year at the Easter service our Priest explained it like that - that each Easter is another chance to be reborn and build on things and do better.

IntentionallyBlank · 13/04/2011 21:29

I sympathise, op. dd came home from her non-denominational, multifaith community school last week after a talk from some Christian visitors full of odd little disconnected fragments from the Easter story, plus the advice that "it makes Jesus sad when we are greedy". I was not at all impressed with the latter. It actually made me wish that we had sent her to a faith school so that at least she would have some sort of consistent religious framework to accept or reject instead of this impossibly confusing mess.

As to the whole "is he here now" thing, my answer has been to try to try to impress upon her the distinction between the real historical figure of Jesus (such as we know of it) and the stories and beliefs that have grown up around this. Not sure she's buying it yet though. There's nothing more appealing to small children than a really dumbed down version of the Christian story.

WillowFae · 17/04/2011 21:22

JohannaM - schools don't teach anything to do with Passover when it comes to Easter. Or at least primary schools don't.

I like shocking my Year 7s when I tell them that Jesus was a Jew!! :D

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