needing opinions! never got around to christening our DS (DP wasn't interested when he was a baby) but now we're considering it for his 4th birthday in a years time. that way he's old enough to understand the little bits/get involved in the process. what do you thing? would you consider it?

I wasn't baptised until I was 11, so yes, I would consider it.

My sister and I were not christened until we were 5. My mum wanted to wait until my little brother arrived to do the three of us together. I remember getting a pretty dress and standing there smiling a lot. Getting lots of fuss from the ladies at church.

Go for it. My DS is 3 in June and we havent done him yet, hope to do him and baby #2 when he or she arrives.

Talk through the day with your DS so he knows what to expect. Have a great day

Our ds was baptised at 3.5yrs as becoming 1st time parents was stressful enough without worrying about organising a baptism etc when he was newborn. At 3.5 ds didn't really understand what it meant and got a little confused. He did love that we had a party after with a cake and pressents We also practised getting water poured on his head in the bath so there was no crying at the alter.

Go for it and good luck.

We have just had DD1 (3) and DD2 (2) christened recently. At this stage, it is really our responsibility as parents to speak for them as they don't know what is going on. That is recognised in the service (ours at least: Uniting), with the expectation that we will teach them as they are able to understand more.

My two understood that they got to wear "a beautiful dress and ballet shoes", and go up to the front of the church with Rod (the minister). He then held them and dripped warm water on them. Oh, and it was a "special celebration". That's it for their comprehension.

Your 4yo will probably understand more, but I think there will be very little to no pressure on him to grasp the whole concept.

My brother was baptized at 4. He wasn't terribly impressed with the procedure as I recall! I was done as a baby in the UK, but mum and dad didn't get around to joining a church when they came to Australia until he was 4, so they did it then.

My kids were baptised at aged 2 and 6 - all three of them at the same time. We didn't do it earlier for the girls because we were living overseas.

It was really successful and my girls still remember the day (they're 8 now).

If you want to baptise your child, then I don't see a problem with doing it at age 4.

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our DD is 4.5 and we wanted to wait until she was older to understand appreciate it plus wanted to wait and have all of children done on the same day so we will do it next year.