Pagan Parents (church, faith, Christianity, Christian)

[Wyndsong71]

I looked through the subforum here and didn't see a single post on Pagan Parenting. So I thought I'd start one!

Both of my boys are teenagers now, my oldest is graduating from High School this year. They have both been raised pagan since birth, which has been interesting for me with some of my family members. I've always tried to teach them about all religions, not just my own, but with a focus on Paganism.

When both boys were in their early teens I was a student teacher teaching wicca and they took the class with me. It was a great experience! My oldest continues to be very interested in Paganism and studies on his own, my youngest doesn't hold the same interest, but is still paganish. LOL! With my business picking up at the same time as the class ended, though, we haven't done much in our spirituality, which is sad. But life circumstances are what they are sometimes.

I know that there are some who don't believe in involving children into circles and the like, but I always felt like that was silly. There is nothing wrong with paganism and if we don't involve our children in our religion then we are in a sense, saying that there is something wrong with it.

So what do you all think? Do you have children? How involved are they in your religion and how do they feel about it? Do you have teenagers and do they think you're religion is silly or turn their backs on it at all?

I'd love to hear from other Pagan Parents and how they have been raising their kids.

[PaganLady]

I raised my daughter in a pagan home and she turned out to be a perfectly responsible adult about to graduate law school while also running her own business. She is also an activist for the rights of women and children, something she felt a calling towards while growing up in a Goddess based household. Her friends and peers are from all religious and cultural backgrounds. Because of the diversity of people she knew growing up in a pagan home, she gets along with most everyone easily.


My daughter attended most Coven gatherings growing up and we celebrated the sabbats and full moons together. There were times when her religious beliefs and upbringing was a challenge, such as when she wore her pentacle and I got a phone call from the principal of her elementary school or the fact that some parents were not open minded and some friendships were ended based on fear or ignorance. Still, she has grown up to be a strong and compassionate young woman with a courageous and loving spirit that I am proud to not only call my daughter but also my best friend.

As a child she was allowed to embrace the magic of childhood and to understand the ways of Nature without fear or ridicule. I have no doubt she will also raise her own children one day with the same values, love and respect she was taught. Our ways are in tune with the world we live in. It is a beautiful faith that has brought me much joy and strength in life, how could I not share it with my children?

[OwlKaMyst]

I have 3 children, all raised with my sense of spirituality. I'm pagan in the most loose definition of pagan. I did not go to any rituals, so neither did my children. However, my youngest who is now 16 went to a charter school and they had a May Pole every year. The two younger kids (daughter and middle son) both express psychic impressions, the boy recalls past lives. While psychic is not an aspect of being of the pagan faith, pagans tend to be more open about these sort of things. Both of these two kids also took to reading tarot cards. This same son is now overseas in the Coast Guard and went to see the Tree of Life. While the Tree is mostly recognized as a Christian icon, the Tree of Life is found in many cultures and traditions. He knew of the Tree from a more cultural aspect than a Christian one.
He told me there is a legend attached to the Tree. If you touch it, you will be called back to it. He said that he thought about touching it, but he did not want to take the chance. That says to me that he takes any legend or said wives tales seriously. And we know that there is a very real reason for such 'tales'.

I can't say that my children have embraced or turned their backs on 'being pagan'.
I know that around age 5 or 6, they each asked the question 'what are we' as in religion, but to them it was their thought that a person is born with a religion like a person is born with blond hair..
I informed them that religion is something we learn about and then choose, if we want, to follow it- it being of course one of many religions which I explained that there are many but Christianity is the most popular.
When my daughter was 12, she was invited by a friend to go to church. My daughter had one question that would determine her answer (she knew I would allow her to go)- 'will there be food?'

I think that my kids are just open-minded, aware and have a deep affection for mother earth and all her children (animal & vegetable).
Really, that is all that is important to me when it comes to their 'religion'.
I'm also pleased that my coast guard son was able to find with ease, a woman with the same spiritual perspective even tho she was 'born' Christian and is not pagan.
How he 'found' her and knew she was the one was all based on the spiritual logic and the 'reading' the messages from the Universe that he learned from me.
Funny it was that I was driving home thinking about this girl and his ? future with her - I had noticed the signs myself and thought, I appove if he wants to marry her....and 10 minutes after I got home, he called me and said, 'I'm telling you first, don't say anything to anyone, but when I return from overseas, I'm going to marry her'.... He then pointed out all the things that lead him, the same things I had just been thinking about before he called.

[PatsCats]

I don't have children, but I have some experience that is relevant in this Thread.

At the church where I attend the Wheel of the Year, no child care is provided for the open-to-the-public Sabbats. Rituals are written knowing that children may be in attendance, so all material presented is age-appropriate. Also, children are invited to be part of the ritual itself by distributing cups and napkins for the Simple Feast, or other such inclusion.

The rituals are designed that way by the organizers so that children can learn about Paganism in a hands-on sort of way, and feel that they are part of the community at the same time. There is also a local church-related Pagan camp out which is priced to make it easier for families to attend. The kids look forward to it every year.

In my years attending these rituals, I have always seen a positive response in the children. The oldest ones bring friends, the tweens display good Circle ettiquette, and the younger ones occasionally throw out an unexpected, and appropriately timed "Blessed Be."

It is clear they are learning, and most are not feeling as though they're being forced to hang out with their parents.

[OwlKaMyst]

That is beautiful Pat! As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Childeren are such a delight and joy, and most are very eager to do 'grown-up' things, why not be receptive to that?
It is sad that we once used to say, 'children should be seen and not heard'. Children being sent off while adults do something that children could learn from is silly. And it makes the children feel different or excluded.
That is one aspect that I really do like about the pagan lifestyle.