When Dinosaurs and Faith Collide
How I explained dinosaurs and faith to my curious daughter
How I explained dinosaurs and faith to my curious daughter
It was a regular Tuesday night, and I was in the middle of my usual post-dinner mom routine — loading the dishwasher and pretending not to notice my kids sneaking extra screen time. Suddenly, my 12-year-old daughter, Kennedy, hit me with a question that stopped me in my tracks:
“How does religion explain dinosaurs?”
I froze. Where did this come from? Was this a homework thing? A TikTok trend? Or just one of those curveballs kids love to throw right before bedtime?
Turns out, this wasn’t a quick-answer situation. So, I did what any slightly frazzled but determined parent would do — I turned to Google.
Step 1: Digging Up the Facts
Before I could give my daughter an answer, I had to get my own story straight. (Confession: I haven’t thought about dinosaurs in any deep way since The Land Before Time traumatized me in the ’90s.) Here’s what I learned:
The Young Earth Theory: Dino Roommates
Some religious folks believe dinosaurs and humans coexisted. According to this idea, God created dinosaurs along with all the other animals during the six days of creation. Imagine Adam naming the giraffe, the zebra, and then…a velociraptor.
Proponents of this theory suggest that dinosaurs went extinct after Noah’s flood. “They didn’t make it onto the ark,” Kennedy speculated. I could see her gears turning: “What if the ark wasn’t big enough for a T. rex?”
Honestly, I didn’t have a rebuttal.
The Old Earth Perspective: Dinosaurs in the Timeline
Another explanation takes a more science-friendly approach. It says the “days” in Genesis weren’t literal 24-hour days but represented vast epochs. Dinosaurs? They were totally part of God’s plan, roaming the Earth long before humans entered the picture.
Kennedy’s response was classic Gen Alpha when I explained this one: “So God’s the original Pixar, dropping an extended universe before we showed up.”
I’ll admit, the analogy wasn’t bad.
Evolution + Faith: A Prehistoric Collaboration
Then, there’s the idea that science and religion are just two sides of the same coin. Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago, and evolution is God's tool to shape life as we know it.
This was Kennedy’s favorite. “So basically, dinosaurs were like the beta version of Earth, and we’re the final update.” Sure, let’s call it Dino OS 1.0.
The “Because God Said So” Approach
Not everyone needs an exact answer. Some people believe dinosaurs are simply part of God’s mystery. Fossils? Maybe they’re divine breadcrumbs left for us to marvel at and ponder.
Kennedy squinted at me when I offered this one. “Mom, that’s just code for ‘I don’t know.’” Well, she’s not wrong.
Step 2: Crafting an Answer for My Kid
After laying out all these options, I turned the tables:
“What do you think, Kennedy?”
She thought for a minute. “I think God made dinosaurs because He knew we’d find them later and think, Whoa, that’s really cool.”
Honestly? I loved that answer. It reminded me that sometimes, kids don’t need everything tied up in a neat little bow. They just want space to wonder.
Step 3: The Real Parenting Win
Here’s the truth: moments like these aren’t about having the perfect answer.
When children ask big questions—whether about dinosaurs, God, or why socks seem to disappear in the dryer—it’s not only about satisfying their curiosity. It’s also about teaching them to think critically, explore, and be comfortable with not knowing everything.
As I tucked Kennedy in that night, she asked, “Mom, do you think God had a favorite dinosaur?”
Without hesitation, I said, “Probably the stegosaurus. It had those cool plates on its back. Very fashion-forward, very demure.”
She laughed, and I knew I’d done something right.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to connect with you. Visit www.shaunteyoung.com and follow me on Instagram.
If you’d like to read another article about my kids, check out this one:
The Last Time You Tuck Them In
A Parenting Wake-Up Callmedium.com