By Susan Ciancio
Many parents wonder if preschool is too young to start teaching children pro-life values. The quick answer is no, it’s never too early. And you may not realize it, but you’re probably already teaching many of them.
Pro-life education begins with the imparting of simple values—that we are all created out of love by God, in His image and likeness, that every person has dignity, and that all people deserve respect. Even young children can understand these concepts, and when we teach them from the time our kids are small, we build the foundation they need as they grow into young people and adults who will live them.
Children at this age are already learning empathy, how to care about others, and the difference between boys and girls. And they’re seeing the wonder and beauty of the world around them. Have you ever seen a little one filled with awe when seeing a pregnant mom? They’re curious, excited, and amazed. They want to know all about that growing baby. This is a great opportunity to talk to them about the baby and to show sonogram images and pictures of the developing baby. It’s also the perfect time to pull out their baby pictures, to show them how small they were, and to tell them the beauty of all babies from the moment of creation.
As we do this, we can explain that every human being is a gift to be cherished and loved, that God created us specifically because He wanted us to live, and that all babies should be protected.
Without mentioning abortion or threats to the preborn, we can pray with our small children and simply ask God to keep all preborn babies safe in their mom’s bellies and to teach people to love babies. These simple prayers reinforce not only the importance of praying for others but the fact that babies should be valued.
To foster respect for the elderly, we can make sure they spend time with grandparents or an elderly friend or other family member. This teaches them to listen to the wisdom of elders, to help when needed, and to understand when they face limitations.
To teach our kids to share with those who may not have as much as we do and to show them that they can help fill a need within society, we can clean out closets and donate gently used items to shelters, or we can take them shopping for diapers or other supplies for the local pregnancy resource center.
We can also read them quality books that teach respect for others and that teach about the lives of courageous saints who stood up for the vulnerable. Giving kids faith-filled examples of men and women to emulate not only helps them see the wider world, but it helps them develop empathy for the poor, the elderly, and those with disabilities. When they hear the stories of the men and women who spent their lives in service to others, they come to realize the value we all have, regardless of our abilities or age.
Understanding the importance of good books that teach these values, we offer materials for all ages to help you teach them at home, as we know that school is not the only place kids should learn. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that parents should be the first educators of their children. Thus, we have a responsibility to engage even little ones in conversations about faith, about kindness, and about the sanctity of life.
That’s the beauty of CLSP booklets: They grow with your child. Our materials start in preschool. For little ones this age, we begin with fun activities such as our Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book. Filled with nearly 50 pages of fun puzzles, coloring pages, and facts about fetal development, this activity book is an awesome way to introduce pro-life values. If you want to get your hands messy with arts and crafts, we have two handprint booklets that teach the beauty of preborn babies.
These fun activities plant the seeds that kids need so they can grow into compassionate and loving adults who respect all people. This is what God commands of parents. We see evidence of this in the book of Deuteronomy, where we read, “Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.”
When we teach the truths of our faith to our small children, we help them become adults who courageously and proudly live out their faith. So no, it’s never too early to teach pro-life values at home, and we encourage you to explore our website to see all the amazing materials we offer as we guide you and your family on your pro-life journey.