A Baby’s Catechism

A few thoughts about catechizing children

My wife Emily and I found significant challenges in feeding our first baby solid food. Even if we could get her started on the process, it seemed to her too much bother to ever finish. So, we distracted her. We asked her where to find her nose, her eyes, her ears, and over time she learned to point in the general direction of most facial features. She wanted to please us, and she was happy with what she was learning. And without really noticing it, she ate.

That gave us an idea. We had been wondering how to teach our children about God and when to start. There are many ways in which the Christian life can be modelled before our children, but we wanted to introduce our children to our God in a formal way as soon as was possible. We recognized that in answering our questions they would initially be trying to please us without understanding the concepts that we were teaching them. But we trusted that God would be honoured when children honour a father or mother, and he has assured us that even infants can praise him. So, we began to catechize.

When we began this process, our child could not talk. But she could point and produce hand signals, so we developed a catechism that did not require much in the way of words. That catechism is provided below with comments on our questions and answers. As you’ll see, it is more about the milk than the meat of the Word, but it seeks to get some key truths across.

The Baby’s Catechism: A Few Comments on Method

A few general comments with respect to method may be useful. First, for each of our children we began asking the first few questions while they were captive audiences in their highchairs. Once they understood that their responses made their parents happy, we shifted the question-and-answer session into family worship. Second, we realized that we needed to begin with simple questions and answers and then move to more complex ones as speech developed. This proved challenging.

On the one hand, we were convinced that we should begin with God, even though our child could not yet talk. Eventually we decided to ask who made her, and then to praise her for whatever noise she made for “God”—all the while hoping and praying that this all-important word would in time come to be pronounced properly, reverently, and with great joy.

On the other hand, we wanted to maintain a logical flow to the catechism. To accommodate our child’s (and then our children’s) development, we were required to go back and insert a couple questions and lengthen a couple answers. Did this confuse our children? Not really. The

addition and extension of questions took a few days to get used to, but none provided lasting difficulty. We simply began to provide the full answers ourselves and in time they imitated us. Naturally, memorizing the answers to the longer questions proceeded at a slower rate than the shorter ones. But the difference was not great since, as with many children, their capacity for learning new questions and answers grew rapidly.

We hope this little catechism will help you and your children to praise God. You may see a need to abridge or expand it, but by the time your baby has mastered this catechism he or she will probably be time to move on to memorizing short Bible verses, and a children’s catechism, such as those published by Christian Focus or Great Commissions Publications.

The Catechism

Here are the suggested sequences in which new questions were introduced or expanded in our two runs through the catechism, the first brief, the second less so:

First run: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Second run: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

1. Q. Who made you? — A. God

We asked the question and waited for a response, enthusiastically praising any noise. Then we said, “Good girl, (name), ‘God!’” Since her name and “good girl” were familiar phrases, she learned that the answer to the question was the one new word: “God.” Sometimes a child will simply remain quiet. Be patient, but if no noise is forthcoming, cheerfully give the right answer and try again later, perhaps at the next meal. For all you know, “God” may be your child’s first word.

2. Q. What else did God make? — A. All things!

Here we provided the answer after we asked the question. As we said “All things” we raised our arms high and wide. For many months, your child, like ours, may simply raise two arms as an answer. We praised this heartily, but never ceased to say “All things.” One day they will blurt out the whole answer.

3. Q. Why did God make you and all things? — A. For his own glory.

Q3 was only added after the child mastered Q4, below. When it came time to add Q3 we asked the question and provided the answer, recognizing that it would be a challenge for the child. As with Q1, we waited for a response and applauded whatever noise the child made. In time “glory,” “own glory,” and even “for his own glory” were pronounced with sufficient clarity that we (and certainly God) knew what our child was saying—even if no one else understood the answer. Note that your child will initially hold up one finger, thinking that you are asking Q4, but they will soon understand that a new question has been introduced with a new answer.

4. Q. How many God’s are there? — A. One.

5. Q. How many God’s are there? — A. One God, in three persons.

For Q4, we again provided the answer after we asked the question. As we said “One!” we raised a single finger. As with Q2, we always repeated the correct answer in words that accompanied the correct hand sign. Over the course of time your child will probably raise two fingers, thinking that this is a doubly good answer. We chose not to comment on this, and a smiling reaffirmation of “One!” came from one or both parents, along with the continued display of a single index finger. The correct answer eventually prevailed over a few months or a year’s time, thus pulling the child back from the brink of an early commitment to polytheism.

After Q4 was solidified in the child’s memory, or when the process was well underway, we began to lengthen the answer. “Right!” we said: “One God in three persons.” When they had heard it often enough, we changed our affirmative statement to an incomplete sentence: “Right! One God in….” Looking expectantly, we coach them to end the sentence: “….in three persons!” Children thrive on consistency, and they may always wait for this prompt. There is no harm in always providing it.

6. Q. Can you name those three persons? — A. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This question follows on from Q5 with little trouble. Wonderfully, at this point you have introduced your child to our glorious Triune God.

7. Q. Are you a sinner? — Yes.

Again, we provided the answer after we asked the question. We nodded our heads and said “Yes” solemnly. Our children said it enthusiastically.

8. Q. Who is your Saviour? — Jesus.

Here we once more provided the answer after we asked the question. We answered it with a tone of joy and relief. As usual, we praised any sound and waited for the correct name to be formed over time. These questions were joined with our regular prayers (in their hearing) that our children would never know a day when they do not know that they are sinners, but that Jesus is their Saviour, and that our God is their God.

9. Q. Who unites you to Jesus? — The Holy Spirit.

We proceed in the same manner as with Q8. These questions and answers make more sense as our children heard us pray to our Father in heaven, asking for the help of the Spirit, and presenting our requests and praises in Jesus’ name — all of which further helped our children with Q5 and Q6.

10. Q. Where do we learn about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? — A. In the Bible.

You might point to the Bible in addition to saying these words. You might also ask, “Where do we learn about Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit?”

11. Is Jesus coming back — A. Yes!

12. Is Jesus coming back — A. Yes! With all his angels.

We ended on a joyful note (sometimes the children leapt into the air). This provided a wonderful reminder that we are pilgrims in this world and that we have a living Saviour who will return one day—yet another matter for family prayer.