Dev in Düsseldorf - Germany, trying to recite like his father.
We noticed his skills to hear and memorise rather than sit and read, on one of the weekends just after his 3rd birthday. In the morning after his bath, he went in front of our temple (prayer area) and started reciting Hanuman Chalisa (video above) in the same tune as his father. We managed to grab the camera and record the above. Guess, he would have continued if we didnt disturb him with this gizmo. After the camera was switched off he joined his father and sang it to completion!
I do my prayers, chanting a few Shlokas daily. My husband never fails to recite his Hanuman Chalisa. But we never taught him these! Consciously or unconsciously many a times I say "God Bless" when soemone sneezes, "Oh God!" when Im tired or when I'm surprised about something. Back home, every Birthday or festival or sometimes for no reason at all, we visited a nearby temple just to thank God and sometimes to have those delicious "Prasad".
Thats when it occured to me as to when this got introuced in his life. We never taught him this one. He has been hearing it continuously - not even daily and picked up with all the feeling of devotion. Another lesson of my parenthood. We need not teach everything to our child it just gets incorporated in their daily life as a part of routine just by observing us.Im still left with a few queries as I observe him & how would I tackle if he comes up with these:
1) The daily activities - Prayers and chanting shlokas. Should we ask them to sing with us or wait till they show interest or do things on their ow. Ive till now followed the later.
2) Apart from daily prayers - eg. is it really necessary for a child to keep fast etc. (Ive seen even 2 yr old children do it without even knowing why they are being refused even milk.)
3) Singing shlokas or any Aarti songs / anything similar for fun as kids do sometimes offend others. But is it really to be taken so seriously?
4) Do you insist on them to do these activities daily or its on their will ?
5) How do the child perceive God eg. someone who would punish if you dont do certain things, or as friend who would come to rescue in times of difficulty or.... etc...
6) Have you told them something about "what/who" is God?
7) What kind of stories you narate them eg. from Bible, Ramayana or Krishna episodes in Mahabharata, etc.. - I sometimes get really worried when I see him role-play Ravaana's role rather than Ram... - is it a matter to concern?
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