BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Pagan Pagan Parenting

Hello and MM all!
I am currently looking for pretty much anything I can get my hands on on the topics of raising children as Pagans. Does anyone have any ideas on where to look?
Thanks a million in advance!
Corrin

Amazon.com
hopefully this link works, i did it by searching for "pagan parenting": http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-7658992-2190554?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pagan+parenting&Go.x=6&Go.y=21&Go=Go


I would also try out local groups and ask advice there too...I found quite a few local groups both in NH and SC through witchvox and yahoo groups.

see also paganparenting.com

for cheaper books alibris.com is a great site...

I am starting to sound like an infomersal or spam because i think I have posted about this site a couple of times in other places but....trust me It is a great site and I am not impressed by many sites!!!

Also in case amazon (or even shopping online!) isn't your thing, see what your local bookseller can get it in for, just write down the ISBN # (aka social security codes for books) and take it to whomever is your fave.

mmm I didnt know you could do this!!! thanks for the info!!!

Thank you for the links :-)
Is there anyone out there who is raising children as pagans. I have a few books... but it is nice to be able to talk to others about personal experiences and such :-)

I am raising my kids Pagan and Buddhist. I teach them what I know about all religions though and do not hold them back from asking to attend services from other religions. Actually, I have objected once to my son who is 7 to go to church with one of his friends. He said he wanted to go because "they get to go play in the gym and play video games. That is why I want to go with him." *Rolls eyes*

Yeah I would have stoped my invisable kids from going too! religion and church should not be about entertainment! but any more the churches are more and more like concerts and gyms so...
*WHATEVER*

I'm not so sure I completely agree with this. Why isn't church about celebration? Isn't that really what the basis of what going to church (for those that do) really about? Celebrating what God/dess has given us?

Video games and such are pushing it, I think. I can't really think of anyway to spirtualize that, especially in a place where people are supposed to be celebrating their spirituality... But the bands, concerts, etc..., I tend to think they are great. Why not use music and dance to connect with the Divine?

MM all

I am raising my 2 boys in an eclectic mix of sorts. My oldest ds is 6 for now next week 7 and is autistic. For him, because of the autism we have found that a druidic/Sioux combo works for him. He enjoys the fact that he can "talk" to everything around him. He listens to the wind for a call from Mother Earth. etc My youngest son is still too young to help him decide so he participates in my rituals which are more of a Native American mix of ideology. I do not stop them from attending other churches though I will agree with Jeannette about the vid games. One Church we attended the kids were fostered off to a nursery and didn't even realize that it was a church just a playland. I can respect they want to keep children occupied but no matter the religion can you not incorporate children into the lessons?? That is my beliefs though and I know everyone is different. BTW, we are also a homeschooling family. So we are definitely going against the grain in this household. lol

BB MP MM again to all,
Di

When our daughter was two my husband and I separated. I was in training for the ministry, as was he (a minister's son following in dad's footsteps) when my husband discovered paganism. He went totally Neo (that uber pagan stage most neophytes go through) showing up at my school to meet me with a huge pentacle around his neck, wearing a cloak and other odd clothing involving bunny fur (it was the 70s so we'll cut him some slack). I was mortified. Not because of his shift in religious beliefs but because he was abusing our relationship to make his own statement.
Shortly after we separated when it was his turn to have our daughter overnight and take her to daycare, I would find that he had made her wear a small pentacle necklace to school. My fear was that athough she was being educated in both Christian and pagan traditions (harmoniously for the most part as much of paganism fleshed out my personal Christian beliefs)at 3 or 4 she was not able to articulate why she wore a sometimes socially misinterpreted symbol of faith. We all know there are dumbos out there who still mistake the pentacle for a symbol of Satanism and it didn't seem fair or safe to have her perhaps so labeled. We decided on a truce - no religious symbols period. It's unfair that she could have worn a cross and no one would object but not a pentacle. It's been 20 years since then but I'm not sure how much that has changed.

I would argue that it isn't good to have a small child wear a cross either. If you can't explain why you are wearing it, you shouldn't be allowed to. Unless, of course, you are wearing it solely for its looks...

I thought I would need to clarify after I posted - I never had my daughter wearing a cross - but needed to make that part of the agreement with my ex so that we could agree on no religious symbols. I agree with you fully that a symbol should only be worn by a person who can explain what it means to them and why they wear it. The same goes for tshirts with writing in other languages on them... if you are not sure what it says, don't wear it. You might end up feeling very foolish when someone who can read it translates.

This is true. I lived in Okinawa, Japan for 4 years. A lot of people would get Kanji tattoos, and some Kanji characters are so intricate that they don't translate well to a tattoo. Well, with slight imperfections in the design came a whole new meaning to the tattoo! Much to their surprise.

You see, now this is why I really appreciate the aspect of Paganism that considers itself a totally private and personal practice. I can understand why some people feel the need to claim their paganism loudly (especially when coming out from another religion that does so), but I feel that the more discreet someone is about their practice the more sacred it is.

I totally agree that a child of that age is not in a position to discuss why their family "believes" a certain thing, and that goes for any religion. I feel only the principles/morals of a community should be taught to very young children, the actual religious aspects should only be shared when the children are old enough to understand and make their own decisions. Belief in a religion should never be forced on anyone - many of us know what happens when it is.

I thought I would bump this thread for parents who are raising their children Pagan. Do you have any great tips or stories (good or bad) you would like to share?

Also, I know there are many Pagan festivals and would love to hear what you think is the most family friendly and any stories about that you would like to share.