Magazine

Tips for Choosing Your Child’s Godparent

Tips for Choosing Your Child's Godparents

As expected parents, you undoubtedly started to think about how you want to raise your child and how you would like to obtain assistance and support during their lifetime. While these problems are of extreme concern, it is also crucial to understand who your child is able to look at as an advisor, role model, or guide and who will look after your child in your absence. This is where the question of a godparent’s option comes up. Scroll down for the tips for choosing your child’s godparent.

What Is a Godparent?

The word godparent is also used in a religious sense and refers to someone who, through the sacrament of Baptism, is chosen by parents to give the child a rite of admission into Christianity. It is generally a member of a group of the Religion, supporting the faith of the baptized person, and endowed with the duties that the Church and the faith entail. A godparent and his position are defined differently by different churches. Being part of a specific religious order, however, is not mandatory for you to be eligible to appoint a godparent. In essence, a godparent is someone who can act as a role model and direct your child.

Tips for Choosing Your Child's Godparents

Image Source – Pixabay

Role and Responsibilities of Child’s Godparent

A parent’s role in the life of a child is to serve as a powerful role model and direct them. The parents and the people they choose as parents their children decide the modern role of godparents. Godparents have a range of religious, non-religious, legal, and financial responsibilities towards children.

1. Christening Godparent Promises

In the process of the godchild’s Christening ritual, godparents are expected to make such vows in answer to certain questions, such as whether they will pray for the child, care for them, turn away from items on behalf of the child that is against God, and turn on their behalf to Jesus.

2. Catholic Baptism

The parents are generally referred to as sponsors at Catholic Baptisms and read the Religious professions on behalf of the child, and undertake to assist the child in his or her faith during their lives. One must be at least 16 years old, a confirmed Catholic who attends mass daily and observes the faith, in order to be a godparent. At least one adult must be there and not more than two.

3. Greek Orthodox Godparent Responsibilities

If the child’s parents are Orthodox Greek and want to baptise Greek, they must pay the parents for the stuff appropriate for the service. Once the child has earned Holy Unction, the godparents are responsible for bathing the child and cleaning the oil. Greek Orthodox parents must also bring the child three times to Holy Communion, educate it about the Orthodox faith, and pick a name for the child in Greek and Christian.

Non-religious Responsibilities of Child’s Godparent

Godparents who have been so-called by non-religious parents have some non-religious duties and obligations for their godchild, as well as religious godparents. This include:

1. Celebrate Special Occasions

As part of an extended family, parents have to mark special days for their godchild and celebrate the successes and accomplishments of their lives. They must submit handwritten notes or cards if they can’t be there with their godchild to show that they are still there for their godchild.

2. Positive Role Model

The godparents were like their godchild’s extended family. The role of a godmother and the role of a godfather require presenting the child with a positive example and a good, solid role model. They should also strive to spend more time with them in order to influence them positively.

3. Care for the Physical Health 

In illness, parents would be present for their godchild. In Mexico, when they are ill and the parents are unable to tend to their child, godparents are expected to take care of their godchild. Having the godparents dig the grave for the deceased godchild is also their normal activity. In the case of both parents’ death, since no other immediate family member is capable of doing so, the godparents are expected to take care of the godchild.

Tips for Choosing Child’s Godparent

A significant and difficult decision is to choose the correct godparents. Here are some tips on who you may name as godparents:

  • Family members are perfect godparents so they will play a significant role in the life of your child. You will see if there is some other member of the family that has a special bond with you or your child and if you named them as a godparent, the effect it will have.
  • If they have the same beliefs as you, close friends with both parents will set a strong example for your child. If you need to ask your partner to be a godparent, you can also decide whether your relationship is one that will last long.
  • You should appoint spiritual faith leaders as the godparents of your child if you are religious and want faith to play an important part in the life of your child. Sometimes they have powerful ideas that can be wonderful, as long as you know that they will not impose their views on the child.
  • If they know both the persons and their families well, often parents choose to name couples as godparents and are confident they are in a dedicated relationship.
Tips for Choosing Your Child's Godparents

Image Source – Pixabay

Factors Should Be Taken Into Consideration When Choosing Child’s Godparents

When determining who is your child’s godparent, here are some considerations that you can take into account:

  • Parents historically have a religious and faith-based role, beginning with baptism and christening, in a godchild’s life. It is necessary to decide whether and to what degree you want the sponsor to play a religious role. If yes you must consider if they have appropriate knowledge of your religion and will engage with their godchild and promote meaningful spiritual development in religious holidays and ceremonies.
  • A big part of choosing godparents is assessing their lifestyle and they are responsible for setting a good example for your boy. You must be relaxed with every part of your life style to see if it embodies the qualities of a child’s positive role model. Particularly importantly, you must consider whether certain elements of your lifestyle could harm the well being of your child.
  • The godparents are typically a big part of the life of the godchild, since they have to be present to set a good example for the child, observe holidays, fulfil their religious and moral duties, and their proximity to your place of residence may be a crucial factor to remember. If they don’t live locally, you’ll have to decide whether they should find time with their godchild and communicate easily with them. You should really look at how far you want them to be in your life and the life of your kids.

Choosing godparents is one of the most important choices that parents are supposed to make. A parent plays an important part in the life of the child and with these tips, you can make the right decision quickly.

Also Read: Step-Parenting – How to get ready for a new role

Share post: facebook twitter pinterest whatsapp