Pagan Family
All of us who have an influence on children, and most especially parents, should carefully consider the traditions (rituals) we will celebrate in our homes, and the religious training (or lack of) that we give our children. We know that children talk to each other -- when the child next door announces "I'm Lutheran" you know your child will want to have a response.
In some cases parent may choose to hide their Pagan beliefs. Some may opt for hiding in order to spare themselves and their children the difficulties of public paganism. Others may opt for hiding when a parenting partner doesn't approve. While it might seem like the best option, it's not easy. You have to hide books and ritual items, be careful in what you say, let special holidays go by without celebration, and remain solitary.
More and more Pagan parents are choosing to raise their children to have a Nature-centered religion. The parents I know who are openly raising their children in the Pagan tradition say they are doing so primarily because they hold their Pagan beliefs as sacred and want to share them with their children. These parents experience a sense of authenticity by not hiding something so important from their children. In her work The Family Wicca Book, Ashleen O'Gaea asks, "How can we explain to our children that they shouldn't talk about Wicca, about our beautiful rituals, without giving them the impression that there's some wrong about it?" (page 15).
Resources for Parents
Use the
Research
Tools to search for Parenting and Pagan Parenting. I
found *many* internet resources this way -- you could spend quite a bit of time with this.
If you prefer a site designed for Pagan families you might consider:
Pagan Parenting at the Witches Voice
Pagan/Wiccan Parenting at About.com
Pagan Parenting Partnership at MoonDragon (great links at the bottom of the page)
Celebrating Paganism with Children (provided by CUUPS).
I am so encouraged to find more and more books on Pagan Parenting and children's activities for Pagans. A quick search of an on-line bookstore will give you numerous options. (When I am asked to put together a short program or lesson for children I consult one of my favorite books, Circle Round: Raising Children in the Goddess Traditions, by Starhawk, Diane Baker, and Anne Hill. It has marvelous stories, songs, and activities.)
As a solitary pagan
it may seem to be more difficult to find other Pagan parents to talk with.
I would suggest you search "Pagan Parent" in
Yahoo!
Groups. You will find many on-line discussions. Some of the
groups are regional in focus, so you might find some Pagan parents in your area.
You can also search the
Pagan
Organizations & Networking page for ways to connect with other Pagan
parents.
K-12 Homeschooling Resources
I found many resources when using the Research Tools. I searched under the following terms: Pagan homeschooling, Pagan education, and Pagan curriculum. The following are additional sites you might want to check out.
Pagan Educational Resources (scroll down the page for more resources)
Pagan/Wiccan Homeschooling at About.com
Goddess Moon Circles on Homeschooling
Homeschooling Unitarian Universalists (not Pagan, but certainly Pagan-friendly)
Adults in the Family
So often when we think of "family" we think of children -- but there are many other family-related issues, such as living arrangements, financial concerns, relationships with partners/spouses/companions, and caring for aging family members. Pagans face all the same issues as others when comes to family life. One issue which has gained attention recently is polyamory. A search for "Pagan polyamory" in any search engine will produce many hits for you to explore.
Legal Matters
If you are dealing with religion-based discrimination, such as in dealing with a school district or in divorce cases, there are organizations that can help. Check the list of helpful resources on the Legal Issues page in Solitary-Pagan.net.