 Pagan Children When considering the pleasures of being pagan, and the mental freedom of it all...why do alot of pagan parents leave their children to discover it 'on their own' or 'later, when they can choose'? In todays world an adult pagan is a political, reclaimed, enlightened, and free spirited individual. So why on earth would anyone choose to deny children some of those same pleasures? Yes, I have heard a lot of the arguements that are opposed, nuetral, and pro-paganism; most of the arguements really are sound in their reasoning from which ever point of view. The most common seems to be the 'they will come to it when they are ready' spin and the 'they don't understand and the kids at school will make fun of them' line to the darker 'my ex and the courts would have a hayday'. It is my firm opinion that these attitudes are flawed, they are defeatist...yes even the nuetral stance because it denies the child the right to stay magical. The biggest draw back is that as our children grow and learn to interact within acceptable social situations, they learn to act in what 'others' consider acceptable. They are usually taught by peers, relatives, and teachers to view the world in a certain way. Think of how far the pagan adult had to go to shake off the social programing that was natural in their childhood, some who were never raised in a particularly religious or christian household still needed to re-examine the world and view it as nature intended. For our children, they already see it. They already know there is magic, wonder, and enchantment out there; therefore its our job as pagan parents to help them maintain that sense of balance and connection that their spirit already reverberates to. Whether you are reading greek mythology at bedtime, sowing a magical herb garden, or laying on your back gazing at the clouds; all are essential to pagan childhood. Why allow them to struggle later in life, especially without a firm spiritual foundation to ground them? Give it to them now, this is the best time for the joy and discovery of the world's magic. Granted most rites may be to complicated or even boring to the younger ones, but if you don't mind an audience...why not? Celebrate, meditate, and sing together. Don't be afraid of what they might tell their friends or teachers, explain that somethings are meant to be shared and some not, consider it a time to teach your child discretion and then deal calmly with any fallout that does happen (its not the end of the world, deal with it proudly). There are many pagan parenting sites on the internet these days, so make use of them, have fun because ultimately you empower them. Always keep in mind ~ "Children were born to learn, this means asking questions (good ones, bad ones, and really strange ones) Teach them slowly and truthfully, if you don't have the answer...go find it together" Who knows, you just may get the awesome experience of seeing and rediscovering the world through a child's eyes . 12 Ways of Wisdom   Teach your children to recognize power...their own, Nature's
and the Divine. Show them how to use it and the responsibilty that goes with itTeach your children tolerence for others. Remind them that not all walk the same Path.
Give them the parks, lakes, woods, and gardens to learn in ... Earth's classrooms are the finest. Celebrate the holidays of your traditions with rituals and appropriate decorations. Sabbats and Esbats educate children in the finer points of paganism. All are excellent reasons to laugh, dance and sing together.
Always encourage imagination in your children, their view of the world is different from ours and you just may learn something.
Be consistent with your children....hold true to your principles and practices.
Show them the hidden Paths to inner peace, in a world of distress, the children need to find that inner calm and strength.
Try your best to answer your childrens questions...if you can not, Don't Lie. Be honest and search for the answer together.
Share your own love of the Old ways, by doing this you show them a Pathway they can follow with trust and honor.
Knowledge is a great gift. If your children are properly prepared, they can answer questions about their beliefs, their choices, and defend themselves confidently in an educated manner against those hostile to their own belief system. *reposted due to missing graphics |
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