Being a godparent is a great honor that no one takes lightly. You become the perpetual guardian of your godchild. You will stand with this person when he or she is baptized and will play a major role in his or her life from there on out. You will help to guide them on their spiritual journey and in life overall.

Your Biggest Duties

As a godparent you will automatically take over as the spiritual guardian for the child should he or she lose both parents. There is also a chance that you will be named a legal guardian should the worst happen. Overall, you need to set a good example for the child and be there when he or she needs you.

Does My Religion Matter?

Being a specialty godparent means that you have accepted God into your life and that you will guide your godchildren under the words of the Lord. However, some religions do require that you are baptized within their faith to become a godparent. For example, the Catholic church requires that all godparents also be Catholic. Not all religions are as stringent. Most religions just require you to have accepted God into your life. Talk to the parents who have asked you to be a godparent if you are unsure about how it all works. You can also go to their church directly and speak to the priest or pastor to have your questions answered.

Am I Going to be a Good Godparent?

This is a question that only you can answer. If you are trying to figure out where you truly stand spiritually or really will not have a lot to do with the child after the baptism, then you may want to decline for the time being. Since you will be helping to guide this child spiritually, you need to be confident in your religious convictions. You will be sharing these convictions with your godchild so you absolutely have to be sure. If you are not able to really spend time with the child, then you may want to reconsider. Being asked to be a godparent is a great honor, but you will need to be present for the child. Now, you do not have to see them every single day, or not even every week, but you need to be able to be available when they need you. It is also a good idea to see them at least once a month so that you can develop a bond with the child.

For Parents: Parents looking for specialty godparent gifts with specific meaning and heartfelt appreciation can be as simple as a cross necklace or as intricate as a monogrammed frame. Either way, these tokens of thanks and love, despite the value, make the godparents feel special and important.