Lenten Sacrifices for the Young (and Old!)

INSIDE: Lent sacrifices for children

Lent is a couple days away, but it is never too late to prepare for this rich liturgical season.  As we develop a plan for our own spiritual growth, let’s not forget the little souls under our care.

What lent sacrifices for children are appropriate? 

Is there a way to make them tangible?

In all honesty, our family’s Lent is always slow to start.  We have birthdays February 10th (Ash Wednesday this year!) and February 15th.  Throw Valentine’s Day in there and it is hard to really feel like Lent has arrived.  We do our best to stumble through.

This year, I’ll celebrate my five year anniversary of joining the Church.  In many ways, I’m still so new to all of this sacrificing and Easter preparation- it ain’t easy!

There are three spokes to the “spiritual wheel” of Lent: 

• fasting
• prayer
• almsgiving

Right now, we just want to focus on fasting, or rather, stepping away from something that gives us earthly pleasure as a way of preparing for Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.

(You may also want to check out: What to give up for Lent- 50+ unique ideas)

Encouraging Lent Sacrifices for Kids:

1.Take time to talk about Lent

We sat down as a family this past weekend to talk about Lent and what we want that to look like for our family this year. 

• What is lent?
• What do we want our Lent to look like in our Catholic home this year?

I encourage you to take some time just talking out the following points with your little ones.

2.Know and give the reason.

Knowing why we are sacrificing gives us more motivation and meaning as we work toward our Lenten goals.  Our children (and we too!) need to be taught why we give things up.

Why sacrifice for Lent?

• mourning our sins
• disciplining our wills

We aren’t trying to earn favor from God, but we are mourning our sins which caused the death of Our Lord.  By giving things up for Lent, we are also disciplining our wills so we are not a slave to pleasurable things. 

If you want to know more, I found this great article at EWTN on Lent and Lenten sacrifices that you may find helpful.

3.Make it easy (enough).

Knowing why we are giving something up helps us give up the right things for the right reasons. 

Is our Lent sacrifice….

• sufficiently difficult but not too hard?

Our sacrifice shouldn’t be so hard we or our child fails by 1 pm on Ash Wednesday. 

4. Is our sacrificing done with the right motivation?

Are we abstaining for the right reasons?

• for God and not for us
• to mourn our sins
• to strengthen our will

I’ve set up strict eating regulations with the wrong motivation of losing the last 5 pounds. Not only did I fail miserably, but my heart was in it for earthly not heavenly gain.

Are you giving up candy to lose weight or to strengthen your will?

Does your child want to give up vegetables or schoolwork for God or themselves?

That’s not to say our sacrifices can’t have a personal benefit as well.

I’ve given up coffee (which I love and can easily have too much of!) and been reminded me of how easily I become reliant on even the simple pleasures of this world.

We should encourage our children to choose something that they will miss, but not necessarily be a constant struggle.

5.Make it tangible!

This is where it gets a little more “fun”…if Lenten sacrifices can be considered “fun.” 

While these ideas are great ways to help our kids, it can also be a great way for us adults to stay motivated and focused on the Lenten journey.

Here are some tangible ways to encourage Lenten sacrifices in our Catholic homes. 

Tangible Ways to Encourage Lenten Sacrifices:

(I would note, many of these ideas could easily be incorporated into your family’s feast table!)

Fasting Rocks

This year in our family, each child decided what they were giving up for Lent and then wrote it on a rock to add to our feast table.  You’ll see some of our children gave up their stuffed animals.  Isaiah, Husband, and I decided to add in more prayer and Bible time.

Sacrifice Beads

Our family first learned about sacrifice beads from our Catholic Children’s Treasure Box stories about St. Therese.  I’ve felt drawn to them ever since! 

Buy them

Not much into crafting with kids? Vianney Beads has these beautiful sacrifice bead bracelets.

Make them

Little Ways offers instructions for making your own sacrifice beads and bracelets as well as premade beads and kits.

Here is another ready made kit available!

Salt Dough Crown of Thorns:

We’ve made salt dough crown of thorns in years past and they have always been a hit.

As children make sacrifices or perform a good deed, they get to break off a thorn.

Cherished Hearts at Home has the recipe and tutorial for salt dough crown of thorns here.

Lent Tub from Catholic Icing:

It doesn’t get any easier than this!  Just have your children put some toys or something special in the tub, seal, and put away until Easter! (from Catholic Icing)

Sacrifice Beans to Jelly Beans

Another activity we’ve done is for the kids to drop a bean in a jar for sacrifices and good deeds.

Easter morning the beans (good works) are transformed into jelly beans which then get to be eaten whenever they perform a good deed within the Easter season.

Cross of Mercy

The Cross of Mercy gets a flower every time a spiritual or corporal work of mercy is completed (great for catechesis too). From Karen’s Adventures

Daily Sacrifice Card Printables

Team Whitaker has these cute printable sacrifice cards.  Just print them up, throw them in a basket, and draw one each day of Lent.  The family focuses on performing the sacrifice throughout their day. 

Prayer chain

This prayer chain would be a great way to encourage intercessory prayer a form of sacrifice.  Write a prayer intention on each chain link.  Each day, take off a link and pray as a family for that intention during the day.  (from Reasons to Praise God)

Encourage your little ones to offer up their sacrifices that day for the person on the prayer chain.

Lenten Sacrifice Ideas for Kids:

Need a bit of inspiration on what to give up for Lent? Here are some ideas.

• Delectable treats:  candy, chocolate, coffee, dessert, or another special treat you have regularly
• Limit or cut screen time (TV, computer, Ipad, notebooks, etc.)
• Limit or cut out social media
• Give up a favorite toy or stuffed animal
• Bad habits (complaining, fighting, raised voices)

Mega List of Lent Sacrifices for Kids:

Electronics

• Limit screentime
• one (or all) electronics
• Youtube/Netflix/movies
• Games
• Radio
• Secular music
• social media

Food and drink

• pop
• Drink nothing but water (this may be for older kids!)
• chocolate
• Dessert
• candy
• snacking

Things

• Give away an old toy
• Box up a favorite toy until Easter

Bad habits

• complaining
• arguing

For others

• volunteer your time
• send a card to someone every day/week
• Take up an extra chore every day

Sacrificial prayer

• daily decade or full rosary (learn more about praying it as a family here)
• weekly adoration

What are your favorite ways to encourage your kids to observe Lent?

What are some creative things you have come up with to sacrifice or add to your time during Lent?

Other Posts you may like:

Our Lenten Feast Table

Lenten Sacrifices for the Young (and Old)

What is Lent? (nearly) Everything you want to know.

What to give up for Lent: 50+ Unique Ideas

Lent in Our Catholic Home

I Ain’t No Minnow Muncher – my thoughts on the Catholic practice of abstinence

American Pierogi – a meatless meal

Crockpot Beans and Burritos – a meatless and freezer friendly meal

And don’t forget to check out The Jesus Tree:  A Family Lent Devotional!