Is it an Impossible Task? Exploring the Lived Experiences of Christian Parents With Young Children in the UK

Abstract

Despite recognition that the early years are foundational for child development and that parents are significant influencers on a child’s spiritual development, little research has considered parental approaches to passing on faith to young children. Guided by frameworks of sociocultural theory and viewing parents as funds of knowledge, this exploratory, qualitative study involved an online survey of 71 self-identified Christian parents in the UK with children under 5 years. The results were analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes in the data. The findings indicate that Christian parents want to support their child’s spiritual development and that they find rhythms, routines, and sharing faith in everyday moments of life helpful for doing so. The project found support for parents to be varied and suggests that churches and the wider Christian community ought to intentionally evaluate the support they provide for parents and the approaches they have for doing so.