Child's bedtime prayer

[SniffyHock]

Can anyone tell me a simple children's bedtime prayer? DS is nearly 4 and I think we've exhausted the 'God bless Daddy, God bless Mummy....' type but he's not old enough to understand the Lord's prayer.

He currently wants to say his 'grace before meals' which is fine but I think he'd like to learn a simple one.

Thanks

(We are RC if that matters)

How is it possible that I've never heard that? Lovely!

We do something different. I got this years ago from a Scripture Union book that is now I think out of print called 'Dear God, Can You Wink?'

We do what this book called 'teaspoon' prayers, form the baking abbreviation 'tsp' - thankyou, sorry, please. So we say thankyou for something in the day (or several things, including the people we have been with), then sorry for anything we have done wrong, then pleases for the night and tomorrow.

Our dcs are 4, 6 and 8. 8yo dd1 is growing out of it now but the others are really into it and it works really well. rather than just learning something off by heart (which can be rattled off unthinking) it helps them to engage.

Good too if something difficult has happened. Recently one of my dd1's freinds died after a long illness and the t-s-p formula gave us something to hang it all on as we prayed.

HTH

MMJ - thank-you so much, it must have taken you ages to type those out. The first two really stirred memories in me! Have printed them out.

Weegie - I love the teaspoon idea and will definately try that with DS.

Hello-

I started a similar thread recently and somebody posted this prayer which I love and we now use:

Dear Father in Heaven look down from above
Bless Mummy and Daddy and all those I love
May angels watch over me sleeping and then
When morning has broken, Lord wake me, Amen.

I've also just found this:

O Angel of God
My guardian dear
To whom God's love commits me here
Ever this night be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide
Amen

Apparently it's a children's prayer from early 20th century Ireland

we do the last verse of Away in a Manger -

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
Close by me for ever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

DS1 also likes

God our Father, we come to say
Thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me
Guard me in the dark of night
And in the morning, send your light.

More thanks - don't know I'll be able to memorise them all

We used to have:

Gentle Jesus, Meek & Mild
Look upon this little child
Be with me throughout the night
& wake me with the morning light

I used to say

God bless all those that I love
God bless all those that love me
God bless all those that love those that I love
And all those that love those that love me

Why not ask your son what he wants to pray about and get him to make up his own. It might not rhyme and be unconventional but I am sure it would be more meaningful to God than reciting someone else's prayer.