Question: Father Andrew,
please tell me how to save my child. My daughter is 11. She’s lost interest in
God and doesn’t want to go to church. Instead, she spends her days glued to her
smartphone, and she is furious if I attempt to take it away. When she was
younger, I was teaching my daughter to love God. We went to church, confessed and
took communion often. I have always sheltered her from evil. Now she watches
films with foul and angry words and says that they’re “cool”. How can I save my
daughter? Maria.
Answer by
Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok: Small
children bring small troubles. She’s 11 now. Imagine what will happen when
she’s 16? You’ve got to help your daughter to become a Christian. All good
encounters that you had in the past, all your prayers and communions, haven’t
been lost, believe me. She’s in her transition to adulthood now. She isn’t a
little girl anymore. Unfortunately, children are sometimes attracted to
sins—various sins. They want to be adult. They want to imitate the grown-ups,
and sadly, they often choose to imitate bad adults. Therefore, you’ve got to
muster your patience and humility. Talk with her wisely, with love and
attention. Watch that bad film together and then explain to her that it isn’t
as great as it seems. Watch a good film with her. Both you and your daughter
will need your prayers and the effort that you must make to ensure that your daughter
defeats all temptations of this world. God will never let you down.
Most children are susceptible to the smartphone
addiction that you mention. Unfortunately, the filth that is so widespread
nowadays sometimes sticks to their souls. That’s why we should fight for our
kids. Summon your patience and humility, and learn to be a mother with faith.
You can take a little child to church by giving him or her a sweet or taking
her in your lap. It is harder to get an eleven-year-old girl to be interested
in the church, and it’s harder still with a sixteen-year-old girl. I believe
that if you do your best to lead a Christian life, you’ll win.
September 17, 2018
St.
Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION