Encouraging Confession

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me how we encourage our children to go to confession. I shared the following with her. I am sharing it here just in case it helps any other mothers. 

In my family, we make it a habit to go to confession on the First Friday/First Saturday of each month. If any of the children want to go before then, they can do so. Having your child review his conscience each night before bed is a good habit. We can help our children by focusing on the 10 Commandments with prompting questions (Did I always listen to my mommy and daddy?) and letting the child reflect on each one quietly in his head. We have been known to go over the 10 Commandments with questions on our way to Mass. Don't ever tell your child that he has sinned. Do gently help him see that he has done so by encouraging him to examine his conscience at the end of each day.