It seems like every week or two, a question comes up in one of the various Pagan parenting groups, along the lines of “I’m Pagan, and I have a toddler, how do I teach them about my faith?” or “I’m new to being Pagan and I want to share with my kids, where do I start?” or “How old do my children need to be for me to start teaching them?”
It’s not surprising that we see these questions – it’s not like we have Sunday School (which is what most of us are familiar with). Most of our groups have limited kids’ activities, if they even have kid friendly events – and that assumes you belong to a group in the first place.
For most kids, step one is to involve your children in your practice – let them see you in ritual, let them help you. Tell stories, read mythology. Go for walks in nature. Talk about what you believe, and when you’re not sure how to answer questions, a good start is always, “Some people think this, and I think that, what do you think?” Kids learn what they see and what they do – so exposure is always a good starting point.
For younger kids, Rupert’s Tales, the Pooka Pages, and Little Pagan Acorns are good resources. For somewhat older kids, books like “Growing up Pagan” and “Paganism for Kiddos” might be a good start.
But…Pagan faiths are faiths of action, not just of reading, and doing things with your children is the best way to teach them.
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