I kept seeing images on Instagram from fellow Catholic moms of ways they were getting their kids to engage in family prayer. Popcorn and chocolate chip rosaries? Kid-led decades?? An entire rosary completed in one sitting??? The photos all looked great! But also a bit overwhelming for a newbie at it myself. Where to begin?

Through my work with WCAT Radio, I got connected with author TJ Burdick, who had answered that very question in his book The Rosary in Kidspeak. Happily he was able to join me on The Catholic Mama podcast recently to discuss the book, how he uses it with his own four children, and how important this aspect of faith is for the family.

You can listen to the episode here or you can listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or iHeartRadio.

I also want to say that since TJ was a guest on the show, I got a copy of The Rosary in Kidspeak and have been using it nightly for family prayer. It has quickly become a staple in our bedtime routine. My 5 and 3 year old love looking at the images and following along with the “beads” printed on the pages. We just do one decade a night plus the opening and closing prayers of the rosary. That, coupled with each of us going around and doing a brief examination of conscience (“Dear Jesus, my day was a ___ day. Thank you for ___. I’m sorry for ___. Help me to ____. I love you, Jesus. Amen.”) takes about 10-15 minutes total and is a great bonding experience. I find my oldest two praying the rosary on their own now sometimes, too. So cool to see that! And it’s been great for our family. I highly recommend this book!

Find TJ at TJBurdick.com and at TinyThomists.com and Signum Dei.

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Need help answering some basic questions about Christianity and Catholicism? Then be sure and grab The Catholic Mama’s How to Talk to Your Kids about God, available for FREE here.