Personal Growth
Stephen Colbert and Kate Middleton’s Diagnosis
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Q. My four-year-old daughter has begun to ask about God. Is God a man or a woman? What is God? What should I tell her?
A. First, know that this is a terrific question, a sign that for your daughter, God is a real entity. Express how proud you are, to her, if you haven't already.
Second, your daughter is probably struggling with where God fits in her life. One day, when she has the capacity to understand more abstract notions, you can have a complete discussion with her.
For now, given her very young age, it is sufficient to talk about God as a Being Who is more than man or woman, Who is endlessly loving, Who is someone we all turn to for help. You can encourage her to pray to God in her own words. You can tell her that God always hears her, is incredibly proud of her, is happy when she is happy, and is sad when she is sad as well.
As your daughter grow older, you will want to make sure that you communicate the following more complex understanding from traditional Judaism.