Bringing up Pagan kids

[Valdi]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?
What literature did you read to them? When did you take up reading things to them, and when did they start actively performing in worship with you? Did you take your children to any place of worship, even if it's not your own, for the children to make more friends outside of school?

If they are older now, did they stick with Paganism, or change to another/no religion?

[Miss]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?
What literature did you read to them? When did you take up reading things to them, and when did they start actively performing in worship with you? Did you take your children to any place of worship, even if it's not your own, for the children to make more friends outside of school?

If they are older now, did they stick with Paganism, or change to another/no religion?

It will still be quite a few years before my husband and I feel ready to have children, but I always think about about our future parenting style.

I know I definitely want my children to be educated about culture, and all that entails. When I was growing up there was a lot of cultural misconceptions told to me because of my parents bigotry.

I'm not sure if I want to raise them in any particular spirituality at all, but I want to tell them about the possibilities they can choose. Obviously I always want them to be aware of how other people may perceive certain lifestyles,and why they do. I want them to know that people are often judgmental, because of the cycle of hatred that repeats itself through families and other sources and to try and not hate them in return for it. Lashing out at those people doesn't change their minds about you.

But, these are only what I hope for. Parenting as an idea versus reality is often different. In the end, you can only do the best you're able to.

[GreentreeTarot]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?
What literature did you read to them? When did you take up reading things to them, and when did they start actively performing in worship with you? Did you take your children to any place of worship, even if it's not your own, for the children to make more friends outside of school?

If they are older now, did they stick with Paganism, or change to another/no religion?

I'm currently bringing up two children - three year old and nine month old girls, so the little one can't do much but crawl around in the grass . I'm not bringing them up 'as pagan', but I'm not trying to hide religion from them, either. I'm working to introduce my daughters to my mother's religion (Christianity), my in-laws' religion (Islam) and my own (Taoist nature-worship); and as they get older we'll incorporate more that we're currently unfamiliar with. My husband and I are dedicated to not labeling our children, but they take part in all sorts of religious traditions. We celebrate Christmas and Easter and attend church on holidays with my mother, we celebrate Ramadan and Eid and attend prayers at the masjid during that time. We also celebrate the eight Wiccan holidays, and discuss the god/goddess cyclical mythos. As for everyday things: we pray a thank-you to the earth before meals, my eldest does sun salutations with me in the morning, the Muslim prayers when she spends time at one grandma's, and Christian prayers at the other's.

I can't yet say whether they'll be ostracized or accepted on the whole - we live in a relatively small sized midwestern town, so I do have some worries - as they haven't been to daycare or school yet. But within our family, their diverse upbringing seems to be going quite well.

We've always read to our children from the time each of them was born, a mix of picture books and children-friendly chapter books. The youngest still doesn't understand much, but she likes to sit with us at story time. My three year old loves books of all kinds, but right now she's really into mythology - we've gone through big books of Egyptian, Norse, and Greek mythology already; and have some Roman, Hindu and Chinese on hold at the library. We also read a lot of nature-focused, seasonally-related books, as my path is largely nature-based.

As for worship, it's a bit complicated as I'm more of an agnostic pagan; I certainly haven't been called to worship any gods or goddesses. I also don't have any local pagan resources, so there's not any gatherings I could take my children to, either. As I mentioned before, my eldest and I do sun salutations together every morning; and sometimes we sit and try to meditate together (of course, she's three, so it never lasts long!). I do include both children in other things that I suppose I consider my 'worship' - we take a lot of long walks, feeling the wind, talking about the plants and occasional animals, stopping to contemplate nature's interesting peculiarities.

I realize it wasn't exactly what you were looking for; but I hope my perspective was helpful .

[corvid04]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?
What literature did you read to them? When did you take up reading things to them, and when did they start actively performing in worship with you? Did you take your children to any place of worship, even if it's not your own, for the children to make more friends outside of school?

If they are older now, did they stick with Paganism, or change to another/no religion?

My daughter is four and IMHO about as pagan as can be. I my self follow no particular dogma and as such could not impart any on her, but i am always open to her with what knowledge I do have. She calls her self a Heathen, so most people think it is a cute joke(though her shouts of Hail Freya draw odd looks...) I think the only real problem I've had is dispelling main stream views on what a witch is ( Yes dear, your daddy is a witch, even though he is a boy...)

[Carnelian]

I'm not sure if I want to raise them in any particular spirituality at all, but I want to tell them about the possibilities they can choose.

People say that a lot, but I don't think that raising your kids in a particular tradition takes away the choice. It isn't so much about indoctrinating them and instructing them in what they believe, except in the case of Abrahamic orthodoxies. It's about the holidays the family celebrates, the values they learn from their parents, and observing the religious activities of their parents. It's like language or culture, they soak it in and pick it up by being immersed in it at home, not just by being taught.

I'm sure very few pagan parents would forbid their kids from following a different religion if they feel so inclined in the future when they are old enough to know what works for them, as I doubt very many of us believe our way is the only way into Heaven or whatever. It's good to expose children to different religious ideas and cultures, but I don't think raising them in a religion is such a bad thing, or that the two methods are mutually exclusive.

[Dark Midnight]

People say that a lot, but I don't think that raising your kids in a particular tradition takes away the choice. It isn't so much about indoctrinating them and instructing them in what they believe, except in the case of Abrahamic orthodoxies. It's about the holidays the family celebrates, the values they learn from their parents, and observing the religious activities of their parents. It's like language or culture, they soak it in and pick it up by being immersed in it at home, not just by being taught.

I'm sure very few pagan parents would forbid their kids from following a different religion if they feel so inclined in the future when they are old enough to know what works for them, as I doubt very many of us believe our way is the only way into Heaven or whatever. It's good to expose children to different religious ideas and cultures, but I don't think raising them in a religion is such a bad thing, or that the two methods are mutually exclusive.

I agree. I am trying to raise my daughter to have an informed choice when she decides she is old enough to want to follow any religion/faith/belief system that she chooses. She sees me following my faith at home, she knows that her dad is agnostic, she goes to a Catholic primary school (they have the best academic results in the area) and she goes to all the usual family church trips (hatchings, joinings and buryings) that we do. We, as a large family, celebrate Christmas (I celebrate Yule, so we have 2 celebrations, which she loves), and she gets to enjoy our Samhain festivities, which is my main holiday.

We also try to answer any questions she has about any religion as best that we can, without bias where possible (depending on the question). I want her to make her own choice, not the one that we'd rather she make.

[Dragonfly68]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?
What literature did you read to them? When did you take up reading things to them, and when did they start actively performing in worship with you? Did you take your children to any place of worship, even if it's not your own, for the children to make more friends outside of school?

If they are older now, did they stick with Paganism, or change to another/no religion?

My daughter was introduce to my religion soon after I stopped "dabbling" and became serious about it, she was about 10 or 11. I've sat with her and explored myths from different cultures along with their everyday traditions, we looked at gemstones, herbs, nature. She saw me do candle magic, use herbs and oils. I started taking her with me to meet-ups and open circles when she was 12.

Yes, ever since she was about 4 till she was in 5th grade and no longer wanted to go, she would be sent to the church around the corner's summer (weeklong) camp. She went to several friends churches, even up to her latish teens. I sent her to the churches so she would have that experience and be able to decide later in life what her spiritual beliefs are.

But for the last 6 yrs, we have been very much part of ADF. Yes, she is still, very much a pagan. She loves ADFs beliefs, but is also branching out and including some of her own stuff, which includes Hindu deities. Btw, my daughter is 20 now.

[Dragonfly68]

What have been the issues in day to day life? Were they ostracised or accepting?

Forgot this part.

Day to day issues was explaining that not everyone saw the world the way she did, that didn't make it wrong, just not the same. For the most part, she was accepted. Yeah, there were a few kids that were mean, but that's life, some just look for a reason to be mean. We did have a few run-ins at school, nothing major, though one counselor either came close or did lose her job, I don't remember right off hand. She found out my daughter was pagan and started preaching to her and telling her she was going to hell. I didn't find out until a while after about it, but I guess one of the Asst. Principals heard and reamed that counselor a new a$$. She wasn't at the school long after that either.

[Ashlei]

How many of you here have brought, are bringing up, or will bring up your kids up as Pagans?

My daughter is almost 4 years old (in april). As of right now, my family has had plenty of misfortunes, so we are not in the place to be able to start being as "serious" as id like to be with my path. As we are getting closer and closer to things coming closer to how we should be, i think about this subject ALOT! I would like to introduce her into what i do, but i'm not completely sure HOW to! Does anyone have any tips for how they showed their child(ren) what they believe. I'm not even sure how to EXPLAIN religion in general .

Thank you everyone in advanced!!
~ash

[Meritmut]

My daughter is almost 4 years old (in april). As of right now, my family has had plenty of misfortunes, so we are not in the place to be able to start being as "serious" as id like to be with my path. As we are getting closer and closer to things coming closer to how we should be, i think about this subject ALOT! I would like to introduce her into what i do, but i'm not completely sure HOW to! Does anyone have any tips for how they showed their child(ren) what they believe. I'm not even sure how to EXPLAIN religion in general .

Thank you everyone in advanced!!
~ash

Hi I know this is a late post but I wanted to answer
I am not a parent yet but I often think how I will raise them. I think what's important is to find fun things to slowly introduce the idea. I know that children books are a particular interest of mine (I can give you a list if you would like on Norse and Egyptian children's books). Also coloring books are a great introduction to a lot of different Gods and Goddesses from different cultures. Another thing I already look at is arts and crafts we can do for holidays that we observe and that tie into my Gods. It's important I think to keep things simple, I am not sure what your path or philosophy is but I have heard from other parents that they explain there are forces of nature in the world that Gods control and different cultures represent the Gods in their own unique way. Hope this helps!