Estranged prayer

Teaching children to pray requires a different approach than leading a grown up person to pray.  Children by nature are spontaneous.  Hence the best way to help them learn to pray and see it as a great means of strength is to let them be spontaneous in their approach to prayer too.  Contrary to this our initial catechesis leads to an estrangement of prayer from real life.  We drag them to Church - where we pray.  Make them learn prayers by rote - something they are not always happy about.  Reprimand them about 'silly' prayers and 'improper' behaviour - very confusing for them to understand when to and when not, for sometimes when they are naughty we cuddle them and at times we scold them.  Slowly they learn that prayer is 'serious' business; done in the Church, away from where real life unfolds (home, playground, with friends...) and not to be trivialized. 

In this process, instead of leading a prayerful life (life immersed in prayer), prayer is neatly cut up from everyday living and 'sanctified' so high that it becomes a 'sacred' rite reserved for special days, special times, special ways.  Normal ordinary everyday life is not to vitiate prayer.