Take Your Children to Church if They Are Not Happy

Every time I turn around, an editor assigns a story to me about the mental health problems of our children. Most of the health experts I speak to correlate Covid lockdowns and our children’s fragile state. Although closing schools was a significant factor in this phenomenon. What if there are other important factors?

Another story, apparently unrelated to mental health crisis, is currently making the rounds in corporate press. The decline in church attendance is alarming. The following are some of the factors: “nones,” Respondents who claim to have no religious affiliation are the fastest-growing segment in the United States each year. A new generation of adults grew up without attending weekly worship services and is raising their children in this way. 

The “nones” They prefer a parenting style that emphasizes: “We’re fine without church and worship and religious instruction and institutions, thank you very much.” But they aren’t perfect. They are not capable of managing daily stresses and other inconveniences. They are becoming more fragile. 

The “nones” will tell you it is because we need to better embrace children’s differences and preferences (like their pronouns) while empowering them with positive affirmations and encouraging personal acceptance through self-esteem workshops. We fill their schedules with dance, theatre, STEM clubs, and sports. If all fails, our kids can self-medicate on social media for hours.

Parents will do all of this, but won’t take their families to church. Research shows that weekly worship services are more popular with children. have Higher GPAs mean higher scores on standardized tests and less chance of being held back a grade. They also are more likely to achieve a bachelor’s degree in college.

So why aren’t parents taking their children to weekly worship?

Many parents respond to surveys that say their children and teenagers don’t want worship. However, this democratic approach seems to apply only to church attendance. Parents are reluctant to give their children voting rights for other important decisions, such as wearing a seatbelt and getting vaccinations. A child’s vote carries more weight when it aligns with a parent’s desire to stay home in pajamas on a Sunday morning.

Why should church attendance be considered a powerful tool for parents to boost their children’s mental health? For the answer, we can turn to research.

In 2018, study, Harvard’s T.H. Children and adolescents who attend weekly worship have some surprising health benefits, according to Chan School of Public Health. Children and teens who attend church report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction in life. They were less likely than their peers to experience anxiety or depression, to use illicit drugs, to have early sex, and to contract sexually transmitted diseases.

These young adults also reported feeling more connected to their community and a sense that they are doing something worthwhile.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases