Family Prayer Series #1: Start at the Very Beginning (A Very Good Place to Start)

If you’re brand new to praying with your kids, this inaugural post in the Family Prayer Series will give you tips and tricks for getting started praying with your family.

This week I’m in the throes of transitions. The girls are back to school, but there’s nothing routine about our schedule yet. It doesn’t help that between back to school nights, sports meetings, and a holy day of obligation last week, we haven’t had a quiet evening at home since the first day of school!

I’ve been thinking about change in our lives and giving thanks that whether we are relaxing on vacation or scheduled up every single hour of the day, prayer is a non-negotiable part of our lives. This doesn’t mean that our family prayer looks exactly the same every day, but rather that some form of prayer is incorporated each day without fail.

Which is why I’m starting this Family Prayer Series. Praying together as a family is not only tremendously rewarding, it’s also an essential part of teaching our kids the faith (our #1 job as parents). Yet this can be a daunting task if you’ve never incorporated family prayer into your daily life—hence, this first installment of the Family Prayer Series is the basics. These foundational prayers and habits will grow with your family as age, patience, and time allow.

Are you already a family prayer pro?? Leave a comment below with what works (or doesn’t work) for your family! 

The Basics of Family Prayer: Start Small, Start Strong

The idea of establishing a family prayer routine can be overwhelming, especially when we feel the weight of doing it “right.” (Anyone else follow Catholic moms on IG who have their 6-year-old reciting prayers perfectly while their 4-year-old sits still, hands folded, with an angelic face? No? Just me??) But seriously, never compare any other family’s prayer life to your own. Take tips and inspiration from them, but never allow yourself to think you’re failing or they’re better than you.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to do everything at once. In fact, when it comes to a family prayer routine, starting small is the best approach. The key is to solidify your own faith life first and then introduce simple, meaningful prayers that your children can easily grasp and join in.

Solidifying Your Own Prayer Life

Before you can lead your children in prayer, it’s crucial to ensure that your own prayer life is solid. This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect or have all the answers, but it does mean making your relationship with God a priority. Take time each day to connect with him through prayer, scripture reading, or other spiritual practices that resonate with you.

Praying together with your family is a beautiful and important part of your role, but you will quickly find that family prayer time (especially if your kids are young) is not always the most fruitful for you. There will be distractions, and your goal during family prayer is establishing a routine and holy habits. As a mother, you need to prioritize your own one-on-one time with God to allow him to give you the graces you need for your beautiful (and often challenging) vocation.

Starting small is just as important for you as it is for your family. If you’re not already in the habit of daily prayer, begin with just a few minutes each day. You might say a short morning offering, read the daily Gospel, or simply spend a quiet moment meditating in God’s presence. The goal is to build a habit, allowing intentional prayer to become a natural part of your daily life.

Start Small with Family Prayers

If you’re anything like me, when you first got the idea to incorporate family prayer in your lives, you decided to dive into a routine of morning and evening prayers, a full daily Rosary, plus scripture reading. Just like with a new exercise routine, too much too quickly is unsustainable, both for you and your children. Instead, start with one of a few simple prayers, being mindful of your children’s ages and temperaments.

The Our Father is a perfect starting point. Your children will recognize it from Mass, and its simplicity makes it easy to learn. Plus, it’s a powerful prayer given to us by Jesus himself, making it a meaningful addition to your family’s routine.

Another great option is one Hail Mary. This short prayer honors our Blessed Mother and is a gentle way to introduce your children to Marian devotion. You can say it together as a family before bedtime or after a meal.

Don’t forget (or overlook) grace before meals. This simple practice is an easy way to bring prayer into your everyday life, reminding everyone to pause and give thanks to God. It’s a tradition that can be carried on throughout your children’s lives, grounding them in gratitude and mindfulness. My kids are so accustomed to praying grace before meals that sometimes they’re the ones reminding me to pray!

Keep It Manageable

One of the biggest challenges in establishing a family prayer routine is avoiding overwhelm for you and your kids. It’s easy to get excited and want to do everything at once, but this approach often leads to burnout. Both you and your children may start to view prayer as a chore rather than a joy. Always listen to your kids’ cues and don’t force prayer. Find ways to engage them in the prayer time by things like letting them lead the sign of the cross, sit by or hold a religious icon, or proclaim the final amen.

To keep things manageable, focus on consistency rather than quantity. It’s better to pray one Our Father every night than to attempt a longer routine that you can’t sustain. As your family becomes more comfortable with these simple prayers, you can gradually introduce new elements, like praying a rosary or lectio divina (keep an eye out for posts about these and other family prayer options in the following weeks!).

Remember, the goal is to create a habit of prayer that will grow and evolve over time. God doesn’t expect perfection, just a deep love of him and desire to share that love with your kids. What matters most is that your family is coming together to connect with God. 

Take it one step at a time and trust that God will bless your efforts. Don’t forget that your emotions do not necessarily correlate with the efficacy of the prayer. Even if your kids resist or are distracted, the Lord is pleased with your efforts and prayer. With patience, consistency, and love, you’ll have family prayer as a daily routine in no time!