AskHal

You actually sound less anxious than most parents facing this dilemma. Some anxiously religious parents simply cannot handle questions from their kids. They view such questions as nothing less than threats to the family’s way of life, so they redouble their efforts to get their children to believe (or at least attend without a fuss).

The best thing parents can do is pursue their own spiritual growth and worry less about their child’s. Only then can parents become a sought-after resource for their children as they struggle with faith, doubt, and questioning all of existence.

And that should be the goal: becoming a trusted guide through the struggles of life, one who allows, even encourages questioning and experimentation within certain boundaries. So applaud your kids’ doubts and genuinely listen and try to learn from them as separate travelers on the earth. Showing them that respect, while calmly pursuing your own growth, will blow them away.