The 4 S's of Raising Gurmukh Children

As Gursikh parents, it is our DUTY to do our very best to ensure that our children become Chardikala Gursikhs when they are older. It is definitely possible to give our children the best chance at becoming Gurmukhs. Based on Daas's observations, here are the 4 ways that in my opinion are the most important and helpful in this endeavour.

1. Sakhis - "BabaNian KahaNian Put Suput Karen". This is Partakh. Guru Ji very straightforwardly assures us that the Kahanian of our Gurmukh ancestors produce good bachay. Telling Sakhis to our bachay everyday is a good way of spending time with our children and also connecting them with Sikhi.
2. Sukhmani Sahib - I believe it was Sant Ishar Singh who gave bachan that if you recite Sukhmani Sahib to your children everyday for the first five years of their life, then they will not falter in their Sikhi. Along with Nitnem, it is so important to recite Sukhmani Sahib to your children everyday. This will be the source of Chardikala for them.
3. Sikh Sangeet - I have seen for myself how much of an impact this has on connecting youth with Sikhi. Within Gurmat sangeet there is so much for children to explore; different taals, raags, tunes, instruments... they will surely find something they like and it will help them develop a love for Kirtan. I have seen way too many examples of this. Sikh Sangeet, and ultimately Kirtan, most definitely plays a huge role in keeping children and youth in Sikhi.
4. Sangat - This is surely the most important of all. If children can find friendship and family among Gurmukhs, then that Prem alone will be enough to keep them in Sikhi and to do Gurmat karam. Just by following Gurmukhs we can find Mukti, even if we ourselves are not spiritually inclined. As parents, we should do our utmost to protect our children from bad sangat and develop a loving relationship with the Gurmukh sangat (Satgur Tum Ko Hoe Dyala Satsang Teree Preet).




To the experienced parents out there, please add your advice and tips for the rest of us to learn from.

Bhul chuk muaf but how in Satnam Vahiguroo Jio Naam do one keep child on Gurmat path when pata pata Singha dey vairi, including within our Gurduara, community, family..for totally brainwashed child (WHO WAS IN SIKHI)to be steered back toward gurmat jio?!!

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Very good points for raising good Sikh kids. I don’t think the author intended to place the points in any order of importance but providing the kid with Sangat at early age is of utmost importance. Even if the kids don’t understand Gurbani, still the Paaras Kala of Gurbani does not fail ever.

Then of course Saakhis of Guru Sahibaan and accomplished Sikhs produce love for Guru Sahib in the tender hearts of children. I can personally vouch for this fact from my own experience, that the Saakhis of Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee that my grandmother narrated to me every night, carved such impression of Guru Sahib in my mind that I developed love for Guru Sahib as a result of that. The seed of love, that is sowed by parents and grandparents, in the hearts of children at early age, never fails to sprout and grow into a big fruitful tree in the future.

The time is very crucial for Sikhs to ensure that their present generation does not get absorbed in the melting pot of Western civilization and their kids don’t grow up to become Sikhi-less Punjabis. One of the most important thing to do is to not talk to your kid in English for the first five years, thereby ensuring that the kid’s mother tongue becomes Punjabi. Thereafter too, English speaking should be banned at home. Don’t worry, your kids will learn English on their own in school; the problem is that they will have difficulty learning Punjabi later on, if they don’t learn it as their mother tongue.

When I see Western raised kids struggling to say even one sentence in Shudh Punjabi during Ardaas, I feel great pity for them. I feel that they are handicaps who are unable to execute their duties as Sikhs. What good is our life if we can’t do Sangati Ardaas, Shudh Paath and Kirtan without accent? So to avoid your kids from being inhibited in Sikhi, teach them Punjabi from an early age.

Kulbir Singh

To add to the point about teaching Punjabi, this should also include teaching kids Muharni so that they can be fluent in reading and reciting Gurbani.

so there is hope for my bethi atey others' who have been to youth camps, learned Gurmukhi, DID SUKHMANI SAHIB JIO PATH (but westernized siblings termed this as abuse by me), did Keertan with Vaja (thanks to teaching by beautiful Singhni Hargun Kaur at Buffalo Main St Gurduara), atey assured me she will care for my parents' Gutke, so do not donate to Gurduara, to also remind me to do Jaikara of Deg Teg Fateh, Panth Ki Jeet, Raj Karega Khalsa (at home, when we did path together), as is Jaikara at Buffalo Gurduara....to today, to treat Karah Parsad like poison, refuse to go Gurduara...but Guru Sahib Jio is VERY DYALU, as she does now sometimes say, Vahiguroo Ji Ka Khalsa, Vahiguroo Ji Ki Fateh, and Naam...so Vahiguroo Jio 2017 to agey DEY JIO_/\_

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Bhul chuk muaf

Great points above. We really need to make every effort possible to make our children into Gurmukhs. The Punjabi part is so very important, without being fluent in Punjabi and having a good understanding of Punjabi it is hard to understand Gurbani. Guru jee has given special status to Punjabi language and Gurmukhi by writing Gurbani in Gurmukhi and using Punjabi for most of Gurbani.

Children have a very high Samratha and can learn anything we put them to. It is totally possible to have your kids become Akhand Paathis in very young age, we just have to make the effort ourselves.

Preetam Singh

Dhan Vahiguroo kirpa Jio_/\_how to encourage learning Gurmukhi as I too agree in jorr of our Vaho language, to create water ripple like effect in Gurmat favoring life ji. Bethi in college, and amongst very westernized community, so what can I do to encourage ji? I have sent links to Gurmukhi learning websites to her, parr reply is no time or no interest ji

Bhul chuk muaf

As i know many westerners visit here:
Nothing against them TRUTHFULLY_/\_, but for sake of white adpoted elementary school indian daily swollen lips and sad face i witnessed daily and wondered why not being reported as needed by public school i substituted at in ny...and white adult (one amongst many in my health insurance work)in pitts, pa who needed stronger med as the med and intoxicant could not relieve memory of abuse he suffered...my ardas ALL BE AWARE to ACT.. HELP FELLOW BEING YOU KNOW IS ALONE AND NEED HELPING HAND JIO_/\_EVEN ARDAS IS SURELY GOOD (as i did for young indian atey pitts adult) then to turn other away.
Some westerners are Saints too, thus, got Guru Gobind Singh Jio Darshan atey Gursikhi life_/\_
Bhul chuk muaf/ my apologies for hurt or ..with many posts Gurmukho Pyareo Jio_/\_

Vaho Dhan Prio Guru Nanak Dev Jio,
that we born as in Sach/ True Ghar of Nanak so we know VAHIGUROO NANAK DOES NOT JUDGE US PER:
- one Christian supervisor at prison in NY I worked part-time, informed me bible states only white from heaven, all else from soil?
-another in same subordinate to supervisor states, only for Christians to sin because jesus wipes off all their sins?
-muslim colleague in Singapore states koran states only muslims not infidels and have right to live?

Good Christians and muslims I asked about above information informed me utter nonsense, but on new year's day of work, utter degrading attitude of RARE FEW whites, even before trump(old youtube videos proves he is was in oprah show and asked her to be president, but she asked him to do same... atey he do not seem racist) officially president, is unbelievable over phone, though other times, all races are guilty of very challenging attitude...so DHAN DHAN GURU NANAK DEV JIO, GURU GOBIND SINGH JIO ATEY GURU GRANTH JIO, that Sikhs (though also guilty of being biased) know we will not be welcome in cycle free after life if even 0.00001 percent of 5 bhoots in us_/\_


bhul chuk muaf

Dhanwad sk Bhenji Jio

Great points SK.

One of the other points to add is SEVA. When we were young in our house, whenever our parents would take us to Gurdwara, they would make us take part in seva. Either it was Bhandiya di seva, langar seva, washing marble floors of gurdwaras, or Joriyaan Di Seva. Even if our kids can't take part in Langar Seva because of Bibek and Sucham, we should teach our kids the basics of each seva and get them involved more. Many kids nowadays don't even know the importance of Seva and the concept of humility associated with Seva.

I think in order to raise true Gurmukhs we as our parents must follow tatt gurmat to inspire our kids. Adding to speak punjabi at home, we must keep it in our minds that our kids will do what we do. Many times parents leave their kids home with their grandparents during Rainsabaaees or Samagam time thinking the kids won't benefit from it or will ruin the parents time sitting in keertan, but what they don't understand is that no matter how hard it is to take care of kids during keertan, it will only benefit them, while being in sangat. Keeping them in sangat from really young age will only benefit them. If we show our kids that being is sangat is not important for them, they will learn to think that sangat is secondary. So we should always be aware of it.

Beautiful points!

When I see young, Rehatvaan, Gursikh parents in the Panth today I get really happy and excited for the future of the Panth. When I was young I remember hearing that there are lots of Gursikh souls waiting to come to Earth to help spread Gurmat and create Khalsa Raj, but there are not many worthy parents for them, they will only come into the homes of Rehatvaan, Tatt Gurmat families. Hopefully this generation of Gursikhs is worthy of these Gursikhs taking birth in their homes and the Panth can prosper!