Godparents - what is their role exactly?

I think traditionally godparents are expected to care for your child if you both die. But if that's what you were hoping for, remember to put it in your Wills because just appointing someone a godparent doesn't do that legally IYGWIM.

I think it depends a lot on your beliefs. Traditionally (and in a christening ceremony) they talk about the godparents providing spiritual guidance to the child. Found this on the web....hope it helps

Traditional godparents

The idea of a godparent came about because converts to the early Christian church were usually adults whose parents were not Christians. The role of godparent was to provide a Christian mentor to help them in their journey as they embraced their new faith.

Over the years the role was refined to a supporting one in which other adults - often, in the Anglican tradition, two of the same sex as the baby and one of the opposite sex - agreed to help the parents instruct and inform their new offspring in the Christian faith. But this role has been eroded, and these days for many families the religious significance of a godparent is less apparent than the honorary status.

Encouragement and support

But that's not to say that there isn't a role for a godparent as another supportive adult a parent can turn to for advice and help. Many parents hope their child's godparents will share, with them, a special interest in his or her upbringing and development - and many hope that, as the years roll by, their child will develop a special relationship with his godparents.

In fact as many of us no longer live close to our extended families, this supportive role of godparents could be more important than ever. "When I chose my daughter's godparents I hoped they'd be people I could turn to for a bit of help in the way I might turn to my sister if I lived nearer to her," says Andrea Simmonds. "I don't want to burden them, but it's nice to think that they're people who I can call and say, help! Could you have Olivia for a night, I'm really stuck!"

Others link the role of godparent with that of 'legal guardian' and ask them to take on the responsibility of bringing up the child if he or she was ever to be left orphaned. If you'd like this role for your child's godparents and the godparents are happy with it, you need to write it into your will with the help of a solicitor.

How to choose godparents

A member of your family or a friend - that's the first dilemma over who to choose. Some people feel family members already have a role where their child is concerned - others feel that they might lose contact with a friend, so it's better to go for someone who's a relation.

It's usually seen as a great honour to be chosen as a baby's godparent, but it's certainly worth thinking about what the person you've asked will think their job entails. If you want a godfather who'll send a card and small gift on your child's birthday each year it makes sense not to ask your beach bum of a brother who's never managed to send a card to anyone on time in his life.

For a traditional Christian baptism, you'll need to find at least one godparent who is a genuine believer. Also, some people who aren't believers may find the idea of making promises in a church unacceptable - you may want to recruit one 'believing' godparent and one or more 'unbelieving' godparents, in which case make clear to the latter people that they're not expected to renounce the devil loudly in church on the day!

(Sorry cant unbold it for some reason!!)

Also - we have 4 godchildren (3 from one couple with another on the way) and another 1 (technically my DH is the godfather although I am not the godmother). We lost touch with DHs friend - she didnt like me, so we have never really played a godparent role in her childs life. The other 3 we have an active role in their lives seeing them at least once a week, and I guess we always think that if ever anything happened to their parents, we would have an active role in their upbringing (even if we were not their legal guardians)

 

How did you come to the decision to have your baby baptized?
Is it something you do at birth or is it something for baby to decide when they are old enough?
I'm catholic, DF isn't. I don't go to church regularly so not sure if i would baptise my baby or not?

fleury wrote: How did you come to the decision to have your baby baptized? Is it something you do at birth or is it something for baby to decide when they are old enough? I'm catholic, DF isn't. I don't go to church regularly so not sure if i would baptise my baby or not?

We have left it for our children to choose what religion the baptize into. My parents left it to be mine and my sisters choice and that is something I am happy they let us do. DH doesn't want to baptize the children at a young age (as he has no religious believes at all) and I want to leave it to be their choice, so if they choose to be catholic, anglican (I am that), scientology etc, and we won't hold it against them.

fleury wrote: I'm curious to know what other christan faiths do.

The church hubby and I belong to is Wesleyan Methodist (it's an 'emergent' church.. so not traditional). If parents chose to, babies in our church get 'dedicated' - kind of like baptism but not. More so dedicating their life to God, saying you're going to bring them up with those beliefs and values - and then when they're older they can choose to get baptised. The baby gets anointed with oil, and then the parents get given the small thing of oil to keep for the son/daughter. Usually the parents speak a bit about their child, and there's a slideshow of photos/video from the first part of the baby's life. It's really quite personal which is nice.

We've thought about Godparents too, and have decided that we wouldn't know who to chose (a couple of sets of close friends). We've opted instead to have a few sets of 'aunties and uncles' - not blood, but having that close relationship. Someone our child can trust to just be there, and that we can also call on for support. So that's another option I guess!

DH is Catholic but he doesn't want to raise the baby as a Catholic - he hasn't even mentioned godparents.

We do have a science-parent though DH asked a good friend of ours who is incredibly smart and loves all things scientific to take charge of broadening our baby's mind! He's even called the 'scienceparent' lol!

Edited by Bobbie