Last fall, our CCD program gave a challenge to the children to say the Rosary every day in October. We have prayed the Rosary as a family off and on before, but nothing ever really stuck for long. But for whatever reason, this little nudge was just what we needed! Below are the “steps” we took to make our nightly rosary a habit. Maybe it will be helpful to you too!
Step 1: Learn about the Mysteries
The first step to saying the Rosary is actually understanding what we’re praying. For the first week, we took things very slowly and really tried to explain each mystery we were meditating on. We used coloring pages similar to these for the little ones and they colored as we prayed.
Step 2: Watch While You Pray
Sometimes meditation is hard and the little kids’ attention spans are short. We’ve found that streaming videos led by Father Patrick Peyton on our TV really helped us stay focused – me included! This is great for visual learners too.
Step 3: Pray On Your Own
This really isn’t the “next” step and can be done either/or with Step 2. When our Internet is spotty or we’re in the car, we simply pray the Rosary with just the beads…or even our fingers in a pinch! With time, our children have become comfortable enough to each lead a mystery. Is there anything sweeter than a child’s heartfelt prayers? We’ve had the most luck designating the fifteen minutes before bedtime for the Rosary. Our chores are done and the day is winding down…it’s been a nice way to end the day together.
Favorites and Links:
Affiliate links ahead!
- New to the Rosary? This post may be helpful.
- The kids got these Lego Rosaries for Easter one year and they’re really great for keeping track of what bead we’re on.
- The choices at Come Holy Spirit Rosaries are gorgeous. I hope to buy one for myself soon.
- Kristin leads a daily rosary on Instagram @manyhailmarysatatime everyday at 6:45AM CT.
