A person may not really need to attend church, but if they attend as a family they’re giving their kids an advantage apart from religion. If not church, then family time for meditation or spent out in nature. Many studies have shown that kids who grow up in families that spent time together in quiet reflection or attended weekly church services were 18% happier in their twenties than their peers who did not have that experience. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, young and teenage children raised with spirituality or religion grow up having better mental health and are less likely to suffer depression and substance abuse. They have better life satisfaction, are more able to handle adversity, and they even have fewer sexually transmitted diseases.
I personally know what a difference a little “down time” can make in my otherwise hectic life. Starting my day with quiet reflection seems to make life’s bumps a little smoother, more tolerable. I can understand why experiencing this as a family on a regular basis can be a good start for kids.
Try it. You may very well like it. You’ll like the benefits even more when your kids grow up.
