When parents come from different religions, we usually assume that the child is going to follow the beliefs followed by his father as our society is patriarchal. But we cannot say that with confidence if the father has married out his religion then there are chances that he himself is not a very strong believer of his own religion or he supports and respects the religion of his wife.
Couples often prepare an initial plan about raising their children. They sometimes decide what religion their children will be following but things are obviously not that simple and when it comes to putting religion on paper or filling in the sub caste while filling the form, things get a little complicated.
When a woman marries outside her religion, she always thinks of bringing up her children the same way she was brought up. But she is not sure how is her child going to look at it, whether he is going to follow her beliefs or is going to go with the beliefs of his father. And due to these complications, mothers often have to accept the fact that it cannot be exactly what they want because everything is contingent and how things will fall, it cannot be predicted.
This post deals with this complication. And given below are some important things which every parent should keep in mind while raising children.
Teach Them Both
Though on papers, you have to fill in the religion column by filling any one religion but it is very important that you teach your children about both the religions. This will surely not be easy as child will initially get confused but as he grows up, he would understand what he is being taught and he will find out his inclination and then choose whatever he wishes to follow. He should know both the cultures. This is going to be a completely different experience from him which can actually make him a better person than others.
Let the Child Decide
You must not force your child to follow any one religion. You should rather give him the freedom to choose. As he would grow, he would be able to explore what religion he likes and what religion he would like to follow. Anyway a person is free to decide what religion he wishes to follow. So let your child find out what he wants to follow. Do not pressurize him to opt for one.
Accept the Fact
You really have to accept lots of things in life. For instance, you cannot expect your child to grow in the same way like you did. You cannot expect the same kind of environment, teaching, eating habits and lifestyle for him like you had. Both parents need to accept this fact and the sooner it is, the better it is for you and your child.
It’s One God
No matter what religion you are following, the essence of every religion is the same. You need to inculcate this kind of approach in your child. He should be accepting and respecting towards every religion. You must teach them kindness, gratitude, love, forgiveness. These things make a man. Teach them to be good humans instead of sticking to the teachings of the religion. Your idea should be to make them good souls.
They Do What They See
Children learn from what they see. You are the best and the most important example for your child. You must respect the religion of your spouse and appreciate the beliefs as these are the things that your child is going to pick from you. If you are going to disrespect each other’s religion, you can imagine what kind of irreparable damage it is going to do to your kid. You have to act mature by accepting the difference with warmth and respecting those differences for the love of your child.
All these useful tips are very effective in raising the child in the right manner so that he doesn’t get confused and is able to understand and respect things around him. Usually, a child whose parents come from different religious backgrounds, if he is brought up well then he turns out to be a more tolerant, accepting and respecting person. As parents, you need to understand that you have to work out a middle path by accepting the differences and helping your child grow in a positive and healthy environment.