It's also important that you don't tell your children what to do with respect to religion, but, rather, explain to them what you yourself are doing, and why you are doing it. For example, explain to them why you meditate, but don't force them to sit.

From a Buddhist point of view, we would like all sentient beings to have contact with and accept Buddhadharma. And of course you want your children to enjoy the benefits of the Dharma, but it shouldn't be accomplished by force or coercion.

I understand that many people who have converted to Buddhism from other religions have done so through their own will. Nobody forced them. They may think that all people should encounter and accept the Dharma in the same way. Parents may feel, "Well, we discovered the Buddhadharma through our own karma and causes and conditions. We should allow our children the same freedom, and if they discover the Dharma, that's great. But we won't interfere at all." This is not the right attitude.

Very few people make their own decisions or choose their own path. Most people are affected by and follow what others tell them. It is important that you explain to your children, as they are growing, what Buddhism is, why you follow the Dharma, what differences and similarities exist between Buddhism and other religions.