Here is a collection of articles I've written related to children and parenting in a magical household. Enjoy.
Pagan Family Movie Night
This is my compiled list of favorite movies for Pagan families to watch together. They have the potential to spark thoughtful discussion of values and themes that Pagan families often hold dear. These are in no particular order and I will continue to add to the list as I discover or remember more.
Sharing Our Faith With Little Ones
I hear the question over and over: How do I teach my children about my Pagan religion? How do I teach them about magic? How do I teach them about my faith without forcing it on them?
Entertaining Toddlers Without Screens
Every mom needs 10-20 minutes without a toddler clinging to her leg; Whether it be to cook a meal, use the bathroom, or whatever. But plopping kiddo in front of the TV (as much as he loves Spider Man and His Amazing Friends and K'nect Party) is not the ideal solution. It doesn't teach him anything, and frankly, if I have to leave the room to do what I have to do I'm not comfortable with it. I can't very well cook a meal in the TV room and with all the noise from the TV, I can't listen to what he's doing either.
I Know What A Housewife Is Worth
There's quite a bit of arguing on various mommy boards over the usefulness or lack thereof of the housewife. I have always held that the housewife earns her keep in the money saved by not paying extra for daycare and in providing home cooked meals and packed lunch boxes (Assuming said housewife does such things, I know there are the bonbon types, I've met them in my dog training adventures, but they are the minority.) but I was not able to put a dollar amount on it. Now I can.
Blessings Of Artemis
Each month on the New Moon I celebrate Noumenia and focus my celebration on a different Olympian God. For the new moon in Sagittarius, I honor Artemis.
Lullabies For Little Pagans
For some families, bedtime can be a huge struggle and I don't want to be one of them. But as a Pagan family, we're looking for something a little different. We would like bedtime to be a little bit magical, very loving and to incorporate elements of our beliefs.
Fostering Gratitude
Gratitude is defined by the World English Dictionary as a feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favors.
Stone Soup
This is more of an interactive storytelling thing that is a fun way to produce the communal meal at any gathering, especially while camping at a festival. It gets the kids involved and teaches a valuable lesson.
Family Togetherness In A Box
(6/17/08) So earlier this month we had a big storm and lost power for almost a week. We were bored. The kids were bored. So Mr. Rabbit bought the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Game and we set it up on the living room floor and surrounded ourselves with candles. I was dungeon master.
Midwinter Musings
(Originally posted 12/4/08) I've been pretty grumpy lately, frustrated with the fact that I miss the Sun's whole show since it rises as I walk into work and sets before I walk out the door. A few days ago, however, it snowed. Oh I griped and I moaned as I made my way to work behind the salt truck and tried to park in the freshly plowed lot among cars that were obviously parked before the lines were visible. But at the end of the day when I parked my car in my own driveway I found myself idling in the yard instead of rushing to get in out of the cold. The sky was clear and full of stars and the snow, it glowed. It was almost as bright as daylight. In the quiet not-quite-darkness, I could hear the whisper of the promise of new light just a few weeks away and my griping was at an end. For the moment anyway.
Watch It Buddy! My Mom's a Christian
(Originally posted 8/8/08) While Pagans like to maintain a reputation, at least among ourselves, of being open minded, accepting and non-judgemental, I have repeatedly found myself in the uncomfortable position of defending Christianity against my fellows. This invariably leads to me being accused of being Christian myself, which puts me on the defensive and later has me wondering why I was so insulted at being accused of being a Christian. After all, my mom’s a Christian and so are my in-laws and they’re all very nice people.
Creating Family Traditions
(Originally posted on 9/28/12) One question I hear very often in Parenting groups is "How do I raise my child in our Pagan tradition. And I confess, this question confuses me. If you are a Pagan, and you follow a Pagan tradition, and you are raising children, you are automatically going to raise your kids in that tradition, right? But no. That's not right because many folks were not raised in the tradition they practice as parents and so do not have the example of our parents to look to. To complicate matters further, many of us feel we must hide our practice and end up hiding it from our kids as well.
Little Rituals
(Originally blogged 11/20/14)
Before I begin, I feel that perhaps some definitions are in order. When I refer to rituals, I refer to meaningful things done over and over. These are not necessarily ceremonies, they need not be flashy. Rituals can be as simple as a kiss before bedtime, or picking up a coffee at your favorite shop at the way to work. Rather than setting things apart from the everyday as ceremonies do, rituals make things normal. Rituals are familiar. They make things comfortable and safe.
Stirring The Imagination
(Originally posted 11/17/14)
There is nothing so fascinating to me as a 3 year old’s imagination. At any moment he can be an animal, a super hero, a car, a vacuum cleaner or a person he knows. (And if you call him by the wrong name, he will correct you.) He’s constantly doing something. Often something that involves sound effects.
Storytelling In The Hallows
(Originally posted 10/15/2014 on my Blogger)
What is The Hallows? It is that big collection of sacred days that happen at the end of October/ beginning of November. Also known as Samhain, Halloween, The Feast of the Dead. This is a liminal period. Just a few days ago the leaves started to turn and in just a few more the trees will be bare. Every morning shimmers with frost on every blade of grass and fog tumbles into the lowlands. Summer is just gone. But winter's not quite here yet. What is there to do but party feverishly and foolishly in the fading sunlight.
Wishing Spells For Wee Ones
(I originally posted this on my Blogger on 6/21/2012)
Today is my birthday and I have more candles than ever to blow out for my birthday wish tonight! Thinking about wishes, I realize that alot of the ways I was taught to make wishes as a child really amount to casting spells. Really simple spells, but spells nonetheless. I thought I'd share a couple wishing spells I've used.
Thoughts On Marriage
(Originally posted 6/22/12 on Blogger)
Spring Equinox Rituals With The Kids
This is a ritual in that you do it every year to mark the change of season. It's basically an Easter egg hunt with a bit of spirituality thrown in. It is not a ceremony. I have found that kids don't stand much on ceremony. This is an at-home activity you can do with your own kids. If you have a camp out or sleepover for the equinox, you could work it into the activities too. If you have quite a few kids, you may need to do some improvising.
Pagan Parenting (Advice)
Many Pagan parents are faced with questions that they are unable to find satisfactory answers to and I have thought deeply about these too. I can't claim to have all the answers, but I can share with you what I have learned in my own journey.
Child Naming Ceremony
A baby naming ceremony is, in many cultures, traditionally done when the baby is about a year old, though many people prefer to do it as soon as possible after the child’s birth. The reason for the year wait is simply because, until recently, most babies didn’t make it through their first year. If they did, they had a pretty good chance of making it to adulthood. This is not to say that the baby wouldn’t have a name before it was a year old, of course it would. A naming ceremony is the child’s official introduction into the family, clan or church. It is much like the baptism ceremonies performed by Christian churches and serves much the same purpose.