In our last article, we discussed how aware our children are, even from a very young age. This week, we continue providing a list of practical suggestions for creating a Torah true environment for your baby, toddler or child.
- Jewish books
Just as last week we mentioned Jewish toys, Jewish books are maybe even more important. Why? How can we teach ethics and at the same time read the story of Cinderella or Snow White, both of which emphasize beauty, power and money, and by Jewish standards, contain quite a few racy scenes. Even innocent animal story books may have "mixed dancing" or immodest conduct.While there are some clean secular books, the Jewish reason for stories is completely different from the secular view point. Usually, stories are a basis for escapism or fantasy. Jewish storytelling, on the other hand, seeks to teach morals and our history. Don't get me wrong -- the stories should still be fun!
If you're looking for some Jewish books to add to your child's library, check out the following links:
http://www.hachai.com http://www.artscroll.com/Categories/chi.... http://www.feldheim.com/cgi-local/new/to...
- A taste of Shabbos
Let your child have a taste of the Kiddish wine.. a drop or two will not harm him! We let our baby play with the shiny, silver cup afterwards. Some have a custom of allowing their three year old make his own Kiddish over a small cup of grape juice.While we're not obligated to buy Shabbos clothes for young children, it's nice to try and dress your infant in fresh, clean Shabbos PJ's before or just after candle lighting. You may even want to put aside a special outfit for Shabbos or Yom Tov.
As soon as your child is old enough, have him or her prepare for Shabbos with you. Two year olds can pick up their toys; three year olds can help stir ingredients for Shabbos meals. Be creative, and find ways to involve them. Granted they make a bit of a mess, and you could do the job faster, but if you encourage them to help you now, while they're more than eager to help, it'll be easier to enlist their help when they're older.
While some families send their kids to bed at their regular bed time on Shabbos, there are families that allow their kids to stay up Friday night. Of course, this depends on the child and the mood of the day, but kids get excited when they can stay up late "like a grown-up" on Shabbos.
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