The Green Grows Slowly: Teaching Kids Faithfulness

Ordinary Time has always felt like the season of slow things, quiet, deep, patient things. It’s the time of year that mirrors most of our lives: full of laundry and grocery lists, meals to make, messes to clean, small hands to hold. It’s not flashy or loud. But it’s here, in these ordinary days, that the seeds of faithfulness are planted and tended.

And for our children, this quiet season is a gift.

We often want to give them the mountaintop moments, the feast days with their special desserts, the candlelit vigils, the processions, and costumes. And those are good and beautiful things. But Ordinary Time reminds us that the life of faith is also daily and steady. It grows slowly, like a well-watered vine.

Children learn faith by watching ours. Not just in church on Sunday, but in the way we light a candle during dinner and say a quiet prayer. In how we speak when we’re frustrated. In the way we rest. In the way we begin again.

This season invites us to draw our kids into that slow work, to teach them, by example and invitation, what it means to live as a disciple in the ordinary.

Daily Habits: Forming the Heart

The foundation of a Christian life is built in the small, daily habits that turn our hearts toward God. Ordinary Time invites us to embrace simple, repeated acts that cultivate a steady faith. Here are a few ways to begin:

The Daily Office

One of the great treasures of our liturgical tradition is the Daily Office. This ancient practice of praying morning, noon, evening, and before bed offers a sacred rhythm to our day. For families new to the Office, start simply: Morning Prayer during breakfast or Compline before bed. Choose just one to begin, and let it become a daily anchor.

Tip: Use a simplified version from the Book of Common Prayer. Light a candle, let a child ring a bell, and create a small ceremony that draws attention to the holiness of the moment. Children especially benefit from this rhythm; it marks the day with grace.

Daily Prayer Downloads.pdf

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Scripture Reading

Just as we nourish our bodies daily, we nourish our souls by engaging with the Word of God. Reading Scripture as a family builds familiarity and love for God’s Word. Read a psalm at breakfast, or a short Gospel passage before bedtime. Ordinary Time is the perfect season to start a slow walk through one book of the Bible.

For young children: Picture Bibles or storybook-style readings are a gentle and beautiful entry point. The key is not quantity but consistency. My favorite storybook Bibles are HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Say Grace Before Meals

This might be the simplest of all habits, but it’s also one of the most profound. Pausing to give thanks reminds us that every meal is a gift. For some of my favorite traditional table blessings:

Prayers Before A Meal.pdf

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Examen or Evening Reflection Before bed, pause together and ask: Where did I see God today? Where did I struggle? How can I grow in faith tomorrow? This habit fosters self-awareness and spiritual attentiveness, even in little ones.

Acts of Kindness and Gratitude Encourage children (and ourselves!) to practice love in the smallest moments: write a thank-you note, help a sibling, notice someone’s need. These become daily acts of discipleship, faith lived in kindness.

Let Your Life Be the Lesson

These habits don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be present. Our children don’t need polished answers or Pinterest-worthy plans; they need to see us choosing faithfulness in the middle of our ordinary days.

In our culture of instant gratification, we often look for quick fruit. But Kingdom growth is slow. Just like the green of Ordinary Time, our children’s faith will take root beneath the surface before we see it bloom.

And that’s okay. That’s the way of the mustard seed.

This week, choose one new habit to introduce into your home. Let it be small. Let it be imperfect. But let it be steady. Ordinary Time is a season to stay awhile, to plant, to water, and to wait with hope.

Printable Included: Download a simple “Seeds of Faith” checklist for kids to post on the fridge or tuck in your homeschool binder. It’s full of tiny, doable acts of faith your children can practice this summer.