Sarah's response in the comments section was SO GOOD, I had to share it with you all. She said...
Just a thought, but even though praying before meals can be a wonderful family tradition (it's honestly never been part of my life much...sometimes we do, sometimes we don't), it is MOST important that he loves it. Just exposing him to prayer is what's most important right now (IMO). Let him observe as you and Ale quiet yourselves, hold hands and pray....write it on his little heart. He'll volunteer to join in soon enough.
As the mom to five very smart and *uber* strong-willed children, God has to remind me every day that He created them to be strong-willed. That doesn't mean they get to disobey. But it also doesn't mean I'm called to "break" them. It's a wonderful molding process (for me and them) parenting strong-willed children. And, no, it doesn't always FEEL wonderful at all! ;)Wow! Thank you for this! Today at lunch I simply bowed my head and prayed out loud. I was able to TRULY pray and seek peace from my Father and pray over my son, rather than "faking" a prayer while wrestling with Danny's hands. It was AMAZING! I got still and quieted my spirit and Danny instantly got still and watched me. He was FASCINATED!!! He even sort of grabbed his hands together while he watched me. He stayed quiet for the duration of my prayer and then went back to his chatty self once I said "Amen."
Hallelujah!! :)
The day was even better due to a couple of other things... I babysit at the gym I work out at one hour a week in exchange for a free membership. Today was my day to babysit, so Danny and I headed out the door first thing in the morning. It was a great hour of play and socializing with other kids and he got good and tired.
Then I came home and gave him a small snack around 11 a.m. before setting him in his crib with books and stuffed animals for his quiet time. I explained in a matter-of-fact way that "this is what we're going to do," and then set him down, kissed his head and walked away. It's the same principle of "Babywise" for sleep-time. Put the baby down and walk away.
Danny yelled for about 10 minutes but then when it was clear I was not coming back in, he sat down and started reading. Do you know that he read and played with his activity book for a solid half-hour!?
So fabulous! Lord, thank you for great friends. Thank you for words of encouragement. Thank you for your guidance and for your miraculous work in all of our hearts... even the 15-month-old hearts. I am blessed to be your child!
