How Do You Explain a Bindi to Kids?

How Do You Explain a Bindi to Kids? May 26, 2017

I’m having a dilema. You guys know I love wearing my bindi. I find it important not just for its purported spiritual benefits but also as a reminder to myself of my values and who I strive to be and as a way of reminding others of the diversity of our society. However, things have gotten more complicated for me.

I’m a member of a wonderful mom’s group. I have awesome new friends and it’s a very diverse group too. Some of the kids are as young as Garrick Ravi and others are a little older. I think the oldest ones are five and six. Those kids are starting to wonder about my bindi and I find that I’m at a loss on how to explain it.

Twice a kid has asked me why I have blood on my face.

I tell them that it’s not blood but then I don’t want to get into a religious discussion with them. I want to be respectful of what their parents are teaching them about religion. For one little boy I tried to say it was like ash Wednesday but I couldn’t tell if he knew what that was plus his mom did not seem too pleased about our conversation.

I stopped wearing it because I just don’t know how to explain it to the kids in my life in an appropriate way.

One friend reminded me that I’m still a Hindu whether I wear a bindi or not. And she’s so right. But it has been an important part of my spiritual practice for a while now and I wonder if there is a way to do both.

What would you say?

How would you explain to a five-year-old in a setting where we don’t discuss religious belief?

 

 

New to this blog? Check out these posts:

What Makes Me A Hindu?

Did I Start Out Christian?

Why Am I Called “The White Hindu”?

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Brian Hanechak

Amit Agarwal

(views expressed here are mine alone and do not reflect opinions of my supporters. Links within the text may be affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase something I get a small commission for recommending it. I only recommend things I truly believe in)

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