Do you observe Lent with your children?

[morningpaper]

Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent) is this week - do you observe Lent with your children? If so, how?

No

Yes... I always give up chocolate for lent... My children 9 + 7 know why, and that Jesus went without food for 40 days and nights.

A bit too young untikl this year. DS1 is 4 now so will probably do something with him. At the moment though, I'd like to give him up for Lent.....

Is that allowed?

I'd like to but don't know what to do. Find any religious observance at home extremely difficult as dh against

I don't but we always gave something up as kids, although it wasnt strictly adhered too.

I am not religious but always (with dd) give up something for Lent (usually chocolate). This Lent I am giving up chocolate and alchol (although I've started a week early) spurred on by a thread here :) I am going to try to get ds (5) to give something up too. I think it is good for everyone to learn to live without something for a while. We take so much for granted.

Yes. I try to encourage the children to think of something extra we can do during this time and collect our pennies , to recognise that lent is a time of giving.

I might make ds give up cbeebies for Lent .

40 days in the wilderness would be a piece of piss in comparison.

I was ttying to think seriously about it for DS1 - but I know when I tried somehing before and said soemthing about "giving to the poor children who don't have any food" he got a bit upset and thought we were going to give away all our food (although, tbh, he doesn't eat it so it wouldn't amke any difference to him anyway )

At the moment I'm trying the pasta jar method of praise and reward so I think it would be a bit mean if I told him to put all his hard earned pennies into the CAFOD box.
Will have to have a think about it.

We always did as children and I am giving up alcohol this year (it's in writing now so I have to!!) but DH is not religious so haven't done anything with DS yet. He's 4.5. I seem to remember that children don't have to observe it till thy are 7 or am I wrong? My Catholic education was a long time ago!!

I guess it would be at First Communion age budababe but maybe trying to get them into good habits early? Not sure.
DS1 definitely knows something is afoot though - I've told him that Lent is getting ready for Jesus dying and rising again - like Advent getting ready for Christmas so he has an idea although yesterday he made a crucifix out of Lego complete with Lego Jesus so maybe he's a bit more aware than I thought!

LOL at lego crucifix!!!

I can't think of anything that DS could give up - he doesn't eat much in the way of sweets/chocolate. If he gives up tv/playstation I will go MAD!

Maybe will wait till he's older!

DS1 and I were chatting at bedtime about what God might want us to give up. It turned out that DS1 thought that I ought to give up being grumpy in the mornings, and that he ought not to get cross so often! We prayed about it and it has made a real difference to us. I think that we will take the same line tonight and see what else God might have lined up for us!

Dd decided last night that she should give up eating McDonalds and KFC - but only the chicken, she can carry on eating McFlurries and Avalanches, plus of course the large cups of Fanta.

Kids are giving up fizzy drinks. they don't have fizzy drinks, but hey it's the thought that counts.

I am not religious ( I am spiritual though) but I have decided to give up meat for ent as it's something I always feel bad about but Haven't got the commitment to give up long term.

Haven't told Dh yet.

spoke to ds about pancake tuesday & lent & he asked me if Jesus liked to eat ancakes he has decided I should give up tea & that he will give up... pancakes. He also decided daddy should give up beating them up! (aka wild rough & tumble, usually just before bed, nearly every bleedin' night)

I'm gonna talk with the little darlings tonight and see what they will give up.

There is no way that they would give up:

DS1 sport, sport on tv, talking about sport, playing sports games on the PSP
DD1 sweets, sweets, sweets
DD2 anything at all!

So it'll be interesting. Would love the DTs to give up the night wakings completely!

Nowadays kids are often encouraged to DO something rather than NOT do something, iyswim - e.g. help out more at home. However, I'm thinking of giving up Mumsnet for the duration!

We put a pound a day in the Lent jar and then give it to a local charity at the end of the 40 days

Ds1 (6) told me last night that you have to give up something you really like,so he has decided to give up mashed potato.

my children get 3 sweets at bedtime (provided they've not lost any for bad behaviour in the day) and a couple of years ago we agreed that if they gave up a sweet I would give them a pound to put in a collection box for the flood victims in Bangladesh (I think it was that, if not something similar). It was very successful in that it provoked discussion about what we have and why and where it comes from which for me is the most important aspect of Lent

I think the doing without concept is important for Lent.

They should be doing helpful things all year round!

Haven't decided what to do myself yet.