As a UU parent I have often found myself struggling to find which elements of my religious heritage I can comfortably reclaim. Some I have rejected outright (like original sin) while others have value but seem to need retooling. Prayer fits into this category for me. If I teach my children to pray and, indeed, pray myself, to whom or what am I praying? And what should the contents of our prayers be? Why pray at all? Then I came across this idea, which doesn't answer all my questions, but seems like a good place to start.

The idea is Prayer Beads. They're similar to rosary beads, but with a few twists. Like rosary beads, the prayer beads can be held while praying, but there are only four beads, each representing a different component of the prayer. To use them you simply hold the first bead and name something you are thankful for. The second bead represents something for which you are sorry. The third is something for which you are hopeful, and the fourth is something you would like to improve.

This is simple enough for even very young children to understand, and is a wonderful tool for developing self-awareness. It's also a good way to foster communication between parents and children. So while I still have to answer the who or what of prayer, for now I feel like I've got a reasonable handle on how and why.