Spinoff- Godparents

[FlyingDumbo]

How did you choose your child's godparents. What do you think the godparent duties and responsibilities are? I have godparents, but well, I have not seen them since I was like 5 years old. My family is not close (or even remotely normal, lol)

 

[MrsDuck]

How did you choose your child's godparents. What do you think the godparent duties and responsibilities are? I have godparents, but well, I have not seen them since I was like 5 years old. My family is not close (or even remotely normal, lol)

My parents picked my mom's sister to be my godmother and their close family friend to be my godfather. They are fairly active in my life, even still. They attend important events (graduation, my wedding, etc), sometimes come to Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners, send birthday gifts, and we will occasionally just meet for dinner.

DFi and I don't have any children yet but we figure we'll pick our 2 closest friends to be our childrens' godparents. Wouldn't expect much from them but figure they'll be involved considering we're all close.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

Our son was just baptized this past October, we brought him home from Korea the October before that so we had a long time to decide! (Took forever to get all of our updates and paperwork for finalization through our social worker and to Korea, then had to wait for a court date and the birth certificate before we could baptize.)

His Godparents are my teaching partner and her husband. She is one of my best friends and they are two of the most faith filled people I know. They were incredibly supportive during the long wait to bring him home, and they truly love him. We see them once or twice a week and usually sit together at Mass. They are a big part of his life and I don't anticipate a change.

If something were to happen to my husband and I Michael would be raised by two other close friends. They are not Catholic, but we have all talked about having his Godparents take him to church when possible and help him receive the sacraments. We see their role as his spiritual "helpers" so to speak and that's what is happening.

 

[ilovemk76]

In our family, Godparents are people who you see practicing our religion and who you want to help the child learn and live out religion. It is not to be chosen for who can spend the most on them but who will widths parents in teaching and living our religion. We would also help the surviving parent if the other one passed away.

In days gone by, the Godparent would become the parent if both died. Now we has wills for that.

Dh and I were very honored to become Godparents last year. We were there for her Baptism and first birthday. We also see her whenever possible. We buy both religious as well as secular books and toys to help her learn her religion. We will be there, God willing, to see her graduate high school and college, at her wedding and to meet her children, if she has them. We are under no obligation to secure her future but we will as much as we can.

 

[soccerdad72]

In theory, Godparents are the people who are tasked with ensuring that the child is raised in the Christian faith.

In practice, it's more of a honorary thing these days.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As far as I know, the duty of godparents is to raise your children if you pass away before they reach adulthood.

I believe my wife's mother or youngest sister is my children's godmother, but I'm not really even sure.

I was raised Catholic, and I know godparents show up at baby baptisms, but now I am Baptist, and the whole "godparent" thing isn't really a part of that denomination, as far as I can tell.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

History of Godparents, etc:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godparent

 

[Buckalew11]

Years ago, you'd be raised by godparents if your parents both passed before adulthood and they were to halp with the religious upbringing of the child too.

I was always fearful of going to live with my godmother as I liked her but did not want to live with her. I have now not seen or heard from her since I was 10 (and I'm 47). I'm friends with her daughter and husband on FB but I doubt he even remembers that his wife was my godmother.

My godfather passed from cancer when I was a teenager. He was always single and my dad's best friend. He was godfather to all 3 of us. I was in touch with him until he passed away. He definitely fulfilled that religious upbringing part. As an adult, I am very thankful for input.

It is rare to hear about godparents in these parts...the only people I know who have them are Catholic.

If I was ever asked, I'd take it very seriously.

 

[DeaverTex]

Tex Jr. didn't have godparents. Just not a part of our way of thinking, I guess.

 

[jetskigrl]

My sister asked me to be her first born's Godmother with her DH's best friend as the Godfather (my DH is not Catholic so he was not asked).

In return, I asked my sister and her DH to be my first born's Godparents. In this case, they would also be the ones to raise her if something happened to me and DH (and if my Mother couldn't do it).

I am still very close to my own Godmother and her family so I asked my Godmother's DD and her DD's husband to be my DS's Godparents. While they would not be the one to raise my DS if something happened to me and DH, they are people that I feel are excellent parents and excellent role models for my DS. So that is why we picked them.

 

[*JoGo*]

Godparents are honorary roles, usually Pertaining to religion.

Guardians are people legally appointed to care for your children should something happen to you.


While we were brought up in church, we didn't have godparents. However, my mom's younger sister and husband were chosen to be our guardians. Dh and I have talked about who would be our childrens' guardians, but nothing is set up formally... And honestly, I'm not too certain about our choice right now. It goes back and forth! Our siblings are significantly younger which presents some obstacles/diffences.

 

[Pembo]

I was raised that godparents were just for the Catholic folk, so I don't have any nor do my kids. However, my sil is Catholic and I am the godmother for my niece and dh is for my nephew. My bil and sil don't stay in touch with their kids Catholic godparents.

 

[bigbabyblues]

How did you choose your child's godparents. What do you think the godparent duties and responsibilities are? I have godparents, but well, I have not seen them since I was like 5 years old. My family is not close (or even remotely normal, lol)

My kids don't have godparents, no one in my fsmily has godparents, and I have never heard that anyone in DH family has godparents. I thought only Catholic families had them, but that may just be in this area? Honestly don't know.