We decorated for Christmas this weekend (with baby coming soon we wanted to do it earlier rather than miss out on it). Anyway, I have a little Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (with manger) that DD likes and is into playing with. I told her it is a "mama, daddy and baby", but others have already started telling her it is "Mary, Joseph and Jesus".
So, my issue is, I really don't want DD thinking Jesus is a plastic baby. I don't want "idols" in our house, and I don't want to mess her up for the future, thinking that God is somehow a plastic toy. She is almost 2, and already does "pray" and had some concept of Jesus (in connection with prayer... but now that connection includes the aforementioned plastic toy).
I know I'm a bit of an overanalyzer, and a part of me knows I grew up with a ceramic nativity in my parents house and don't think it has totally damaged my ability to understand God (...but I DO think that things like that and other cartoon stories of God and from Sunday School did get in the way of me really "growing up" in my faith and made it a sometimes difficult transition to adult thinking in terms of my faith).
So, how much am I over-thinking this? Is there a way to have Christian Christmas decorations without confusing my DD?
Stark
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DDogs 08/2003, 10/2003 DD 02/2006 DS 12/2007
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I think that kids have a wonderful ability to understand more than we give them credit for. I wouldn't worry about the nativity confusing her understanding of Jesus.
Now having those wise men there while Jesus is still a newborn.... well that's just wrong.
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(...but I DO think that things like that and other cartoon stories of God and from Sunday School did get in the way of me really "growing up" in my faith and made it a sometimes difficult transition to adult thinking in terms of my faith).
Stark
I heard a great lecture on this topic. If we give kids ONLY kiddie looking stories from the Bible and not the everyday practices (honor, faithfulness, doctrines, etc) then they grow up to believe it was all fairy tales. The speaker had a lot of good points. So in our home we do the kiddie looking stories and add in the Bible doctrines. We make sure mention to DD when we are reading a book that is based on fact, and which ones are pretend stories. She is only 3, but realy caught on quickly.
She has asked for a nativity to play with, but I kinda had the same ideas you had. We have a miniture one (figures are under 2 inches high) that goes under the tree and we explain the meaning and that Jesus really was a real baby. Kids do need something physical to understand Spiritual themes IMO. We have not bought any toy Jesus figures, but she calls all her dolls Baby Moses at one time or another, lol. DD also knows the pictures of tiny Noah's Arks are not accurate. As Ajani said it's amazing what they can get if you explain it on their level over and again.
DD's nursery teachers have been amazing at teaching her Bible stories, also.
I heard a great lecture on this topic. If we give kids ONLY kiddie looking stories from the Bible and not the everyday practices (honor, faithfulness, doctrines, etc) then they grow up to believe it was all fairy tales. The speaker had a lot of good points. So in our home we do the kiddie looking stories and add in the Bible doctrines. We make sure mention to DD when we are reading a book that is based on fact, and which ones are pretend stories. She is only 3, but realy caught on quickly.
That's a good thought. I'd hate to skip the neat resources that are aimed at kids, but I do have issues with how they don't necessarily build a sound set of beliefs. Mixing easy-access kiddie stories with real "solid" teaching sounds like a great approach.
Stark
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If you are interested in the lecture, if I remember correctly it was done by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis. Some of his lectures you can watch online for free at AIG. I think he had some statistics from gallop in that lecture on the number of kids who in the last generation were taken to church and Sunday school, but walked away from it all and did not believe in the Bible as the Word of God.
DD likes VeggieTales, and I like the morals at the end. She also likes Dooley & Pals (not sure if you get any Christian channels) which teaches Bible doctrines, but rarely uses Bible stories. The one about the boy who cried wolf really struck home with DD. She understood that was about lying. They usually read a verse or two at the end. DD loves it as most of the actors are kids. They sing, play games, etc., but mostly they solve a problem each week that is brought on by a mistake or sin of some sort- lying, selfishness, not keeping your word, etc.
If you are interested in the lecture, if I remember correctly it was done by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis. Some of his lectures you can watch online for free at AIG.
I think I found it listed as something he'd done, but not as one of the free lectures. I should probably be napping now while DD naps anyways...
Stark
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Nativity Toys and Theology 
