My 9 year old asked why we don't pray at home. His friend's family does a puja every morning

gentle_chai_336428 Jul 2026

He came back from a friend's place this weekend full of questions. They have a small puja corner, the friend rings the bell before school, and there's prasad. My son wanted to know why we don't have one, whether we believe in anything, and whether he's allowed to. We aren't religious at home. We go to temples when we visit family in Hyderabad, and that's about it. My partner and I have never sat down and agreed what we'd say if he asked, and I gave a muddled answer at dinner. How did you explain your family's beliefs, or lack of them, to a child this age without making his friend's family sound strange?

2 comments

amber_pebble_849129 Jul 2026
My father did a long puja every morning and my mother did not pray at all. Nobody explained it to us; we simply grew up thinking people are different about this, which turned out to be a useful thing to grow up with. With a baby at home, I have not had to put any of this into words yet. Does your son want to join his friend's puja, or is he asking mainly why your house is different?
saffron_window_125829 Jul 2026
We had this with our daughter around 9 too. What we said: these are the things we believe, these are the things your friend's family believes, and when you're older you can decide for yourself. She went to her friend's pujas, asked a lot of questions, and it settled down on its own. Kids mostly want to know they're allowed to be curious.