Help - Sending your kids to a Religious School when you are not Religious

[LuluHB]

This was our situation too. DD1 is in her third year at the school and DD2 in her second. They had absolutely no exposure to religion whatsoever before attending the school but neither has had a problem adjusting. TBH the only one with the problem is me. I was perhaps naïve at just the amount of religion that would be in their day to day activities, the focus of assemblies etc - particularly given that the school takes people of any or no religious denominations - and I am struggling a little with the extent of it. I am doing my best to support the teachings of the school, as we are obligated to do given the contract we entered into with the school, while still giving my kids the balanced outlook I think is appropriate.

Oh, and the school library is full of age appropriate children's bibles, as well as little books with individual bible stories which they frequently bring home so I wouldn't worry about buying one yourself unless your DS asks for one down the track.

[Khaleesi]

DD1 started at a Catholic school this year, we aren't religious & Maddi had never been exposed to religion before.
She settled in fine, they have a special prayer they say each morning they have mass once a week & on religious holidays they do spend more time learning about that particular holiday but otherwise they don't focus on it a whole lot.
Occasionally we will be having dinner & Maddi will suddenly burst out with a new religious song she learnt but i hear more about the "Ants on an Apple song".

With Mass she hated it at first as you sit down, stand up, sit down etc... but it doesn't bother her anymore & she loves the school prayers she will recite them to anyone who will listen lol

[HotI]

You might find it handy for you to research a few things, so you know what they are when your DS comes home and talks about them.

I went to a catholic high school, and before I started mum taught me
the sign of the cross

Our Father (a prayer)
(Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.)

The Hail Mary (a prayer)
(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.)

I think I got through 6 years of catholic education just with those 3 and watching everyone what everyone else did.

Kids might also be doing their first holy communion, and their confirmation (grade 6 ish).

Some bible stories can be really strange if you haven't heard them before, even more if you are getting them interpreted by a 5 year old, but there is always google if you can't work it out.

[Freya]

We are a little religious (I am catholic and our kids attend catholic school) but we never taught them much about it all.

My Ds1 is grade 1 and Ds2 is prep this year and I assure you, they learn it all quite quickly just through attending school! They both know the Lords prayer and Hail Mary, the sign of the cross, the school prayer, saints etc. They can name all the apostles and tell you a kid-version of just about every bible story, can sing all the religious songs. We do have a childrens bible that Ds1's godmother gifted him at his baptism and we pull it out if they have any extra questions about a particular bible story, esp because Dh and I are rusty on our bible knowledge lol

Cheshire - aaaaaah the joys of cued articulation. If I have to listen to the song one more time I might scream lol

[HotI]

The Hail Mary (a prayer)
(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.)

Just realised I have been saying this one wrong forever. The above is what I copied from catholic.com, I always thought it was 'pray for our sinners now and at the hour of our death'. well, there you go.