Raising Wiccan Children?

Question

I’m the first person (that I know of) to choose Wicca as a religion in my family. I’ve told my Mom about my choice but that’s about it. The rest of my family consist of Southern Baptist and they would never accept my decision. I have always been a solitary witch and I recently got engaged. The mentioning of children has popped up and it has made me start thinking a lot about raising my children to be Wiccan as well. I’m a little nervous because I have no Wiccan friends and I’m afraid that I might mess up. Would joining a coven make being a wiccan parent easier or do you think I should remain solitary and just try my best?

If you are not Wiccan then don’t answer this question.

Answer 1

Okay, honestly here I'm not bashing wiccan as I see nothing wrong with whatever faith you choose, but, Wiccan demands a certian basis in other faiths as well. For an adult who has the mental maturity to make this type of decision on their own is easy because they can understand the connections wiccan has to other faiths. I guess what I am sayiing is that Wiccan is one of the more difficut faiths to practice and follow. I would suggest joining a respectable Coven, but I would also suggest that your young children be taught in another faith AS WELL AS WICCAN so they can develop the understanding they need for an enriched faith. whichever one you chose is up to you as long as it offers both similarities in some areas as well as differences in others so that the child may ask questions and explore his/her faith in full. Since you have no historical basis (ie: family) to help answer such questions, a coven will be a benefit, but it must be open and tolerant of the other teachings. a respectable one will be. Hope this makes sense.

Answer 2

Don't worry! I was raised wiccian, and it runs in the family for generations. I raised my kids wiccian, and now they are raising their kids that way too. The point in our family is that we are given two views. Like I was raised catholic by my mom, and taught witchcraft by my dad. So you can let your kids go to the southern baptist church, and still raise them in the craft. When the kids turn 14 (at least in our family) they can pick the path they want to follow..... most of the time this isn't even necessary, since wicca is such a gentle and wise religion, most people will go to that if given a choice. If not, it's their choice! And no, joing a coven won't help. Solitary is good, and it allows you to pick and choose what you teach your kids. My grandson recently was asked in kindergarten what his religion was (I thought that was tacky, but I guess they were just trying to fill out the holidays) and he proudly proclaimed to the whole class that he was a Witch! After all, it IS A LEGAL RELIGION! Even the army has wiccian pastors to help the men.n Start slow with the kids, no major spell crafting, and let them also experiance other religions.

Answer 3

If I were Wiccan...or any religion, I would want to teach my children about my religion. You're supposed to influence your children and teach them morals. Paganism/Wicca can do that just as well as any other religion. It's sorta disturbing to see some of these earlier posts. I wonder what they are going to teach their children.

If you are interested in finding Wiccan friends in your area, you can try to find people near you on internet message boards and chatrooms. I live in the middle of nowhere West Virginia, yet there are a ton of Wiccans around here. You can find some if you root around. :) My guess is that most people raise their children as a soltaire Wiccan.

Someone earlier mentioned joining a Unitarian Universalist church. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalist) This seems like a good idea. However, you will also be introducing your children to other beliefs. I doubt that is a big issue considering how open Wiccans are, but it is something to consider.

Covens also seem like a good idea but they can be difficult to find. Also, there are so many distinct ways to worship Wicca, it may be hard for you to find a coven that falls into your line of thinking. However, if you find a coven with people close to your age, chances are that some of them will be parents and you can get all sorts of great advice. I read this book a really long time ago, but I believe Covencraft has some information on Wicca and children. Not super sure though, give it a quick read in Barnes and Noble before you buy it. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567180183/ref=sr_11_1/103-4493237-3258217?ie=UTF8)
Also, the book has some great information about how to start your own coven.

Here's some links related to Wicca and children.
(http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/parenting/)
(http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/parenting/tp/kidsbooks.htm)
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564146316/103-4493237-3258217?v=glance&n=283155)
Wow, there's more books than I thought about raising Wiccan children.
(http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Pagan/Parenting/)

Regardless of how you decide to do it, make sure your children understand it is something to be proud of. Taking on a faith requires dedication and love. Sometimes people may not understand them and others may pick on them but it is a major part of who they are and where they are from. Even if they decide to part ways with your religion, the experience will let them grow and understand their parents. It will take a certain amount of backbone on your behalf too. Children talk and you may find yourself being brought out of the witch closet before you are quite ready. There's a lot of considerations in raising another generation of Wiccans. But whatever decision you make will be correct for you and your family. :)

Answer 4

Check out what is available in your area. If there is a coven where children are included and there are activities geared toward children, then this is a good option. If the covens in your area are centered on grown-ups and there is nothing on the child's level, it's best to create your own rites and let your little one join in.

I have a granddaughter and she makes magic a part of every day. She picked most of it up by osmosis and understands much more than you would imagine.

Though a coven would be great if you find one where youngsters ae included, you won't mess up doing it all on your own. Just do what you do, let your child join in on her level and allow room for her to grow into things with you. Never force, instead... allow. Explore each thing with her and you'll be surprised how much your own wisdom grows right along with hers.

blessings,

"Granny" Kate

Answer 5

the reason man people join religious groups is for support and advice. that reason is the same whichever religion you choose to follow.

If you have not looked into 'groups' for Wicca in your area you may want to consider it... There are drawbacks to joining any group... southern baptist churches or Wicca covens... all demand a certain amount of YOUR time but the payoff is supposed to be you receive a certain amount of THEIR time in return..

it also depends on your personality... are you a people person? do you like having others give you advice? because that is what a group will do. Some groups can be very judge mental and forceful about the groups 'codes' so be very careful to understand all the fine print of what the group stands for and practices before you join up.

good luck.

Answer 6

I am a casual wiccan (solitary only) and I do not involve my son in it at all. It is really more appropriate for adults who have decided it's for them. To raise a child to think that Wicca is the "right" religion, limits them too early. My son will choose what he wants to believe on his own.

Answer 7

I don't think children should be raised in any religion. My best advice would be to leave the religious stuff alone until they get old enough to choose for themselves. If you really want to get them involved in something spiritual find a Unitarian Universalist church in your area. But I have a few Pagan friends with kids who haven't brought their kids to ritual or anything, but are waiting till they get old enough to decide for themselves. Keep an open mind, and let them explore different paths and find out what's right for them. And don't be disappointed if they don't choose Wicca.

Answer 8

we are practicing wiccans, buddhists, taoists and hermetic mages. we have a five year old son and there is not a lot of support for raising pagan children out here. we've decided to ease him into our beliefs slowly. we've made him aware that his grandparents and friends probably won't understand the concept of a goddess and so when he chooses to talk about this we do it at home. in the end we feel that spirtituality is a personal choice and that our son will make that choice on his own someday and that he may go through many choices before finding out what works for him....for all we know he may choose to be baptist someday. we celebrate christian and pagan holidays and he knows a lot about the christian religion and jesus in particular. we feel there are many paths to the same goal. follow your heart in raising children, don't be fanatical, and let them choose in the end. if you are following your heart, and live with love, you will not mess up in raising your children in a pagan spirituality. when it comes to other's criticizing your beliefs, be it family or your child's school, remain calm and be the bigger person. explain that they don't have to understand it in order to grant you and your children the respect you deserve in a country based on religious freedom. blessed be!

Answer 9

There is no absolute right way to parent. My own veiws on religion are a bit confusing, but I try to convey to them that it's most important to be true to themselves and to always keep an open mind. In the end your child will choose for themself just as you have. If you practice as a solitary witch, teach them why that is important to you and show them what you do. If in time they show interest pursue it further, trust me your family will be showing him their beliefs and practices-think Christmas. Just do your best and keep an open mind also!

Answer 10

I don't want to tell you what to do because these are your kids. You could just teach them about all religions, about yours, and just let them decide when they get older like you did. I am Wiccan, however, I do not have children, but I would do this. I would just teach them to be open and accept every religion and let them choose for themselves the way that I have.