How to explain religion to a 4yr old

[Midgeroo]

My DD1 has just started school. We picked a Methodist School as we felt this was the best choice for her education, it had good reports, everyone we met were friendly and all the children we met were polite.

Neither I or DH are particularly religious and haven't had our DD1 christened as I want her to choose her own path.

She has retuned from school talking about saying prayers. The religion/god question has never come up before but I would like to explain religion to her from a 'middle ground' point of view.

I don't want her to become absorbed by one particular religion, that this is the correct path, as there are so many out there and I want her to know the full picture.

Any advise on how best to explain it?

I had this with my daughter last Christmas, both dh and I are athiests but Dd came home with questions about the nativity play, we've also discussed it when the subject of death arose.

I just kept it simple, said people believe different things, some people believe in a god or gods that they think created the world and everything in it and like to celebrate and say thank you by going to church / praying / celebrating Christmas etc. I said not all people believe in the same god and this is normally influenced by where you live, what your parents believe. I told her that I don't believe in a god, but it was up to her to decide if she does or not.

Perfect! Thank you for your advice :)

Excellent post AWimbaWay.

I always tell my daughter that religion is like football - but there are different teams. I've also told her that people believe in God but there are just many different routes to the same destination. So - you want to know how she's turning out? At the moment she loves going to after school club at the local Baptist church but just won't go on Sundays. Whenever I suggest going to church she rolls her eyes! Not surprised she's confused though her step dad is an evangelical atheist and her mother is more of a Quaker/ buddhist than anything!

Midgeroo I could have written the exact same post. We are facing the same dilemma - do we live in the same place?

when DS came home saying he had done a poem me and DH were ;oh, that's nice love' the n he went on to say 'we closed our eyes and we put our hands together like this'. We hadn't really anticipated it so didn't really know what to say but this week he has started talking about jesus and lost lambs.

Thanks for the advice AWimberWay and WisteriaWoman it's perfect.

TuftyFinch - ha ha, maybe...

I've now explained it to her and she was just like, oh ok. I think she'll ask again but I am now prepared!

Excellent advice AWimberWay and WisteriaWoman