atheist
parent skeptic parent secular parent humanist parenting raising
skeptical children atheist parenting
We first generation atheist parents really need support! Well, I did.
Maybe no one really needs support anymore...
As a first generation parent I asked myself so many questions that I thought I was going crazy! I face, on a very regular basis, honest people asking stereotypical questions like aren't you afraid of going to Hell? Why do you celebrate Christmas? Aren't you atheists treating science as a god? Where you you get your morality from? And I get asked some less inquisitive/more rude questions as well. Surely I am not alone out here trying to do my best job of raising freethinking kids!!!
I am so grateful to Dale McGowan for his book Parenting Beyond Belief and to his blog The Meming of Life! For a long while these were the only resources that I knew of for atheist parenting. His book was like a breath of sanity for me in those days. I remember reading it cover-to-cover several times and reading his fiction, however distantly atheist in nature. I was craving good, current material written for, by, and about atheists.
So why are there not more of us out there in blog world? Are parents just too busy? Is everyone confident and angst free these days?
Well, I don't mind being the lone voice. I am quite used to being a lone voice. But I would prefer to be a part of a growing community of like-minded parents, people out here in the world who are growing the atheist/secular presence in this world and on this WWW.
If you are an atheist blogger, please chime in!
If you are following other atheist parenting blogs, please pass them along to me!
And, if you are blogging, please get up the nerve to write about atheist parenting!
As a first generation parent I asked myself so many questions that I thought I was going crazy! I face, on a very regular basis, honest people asking stereotypical questions like aren't you afraid of going to Hell? Why do you celebrate Christmas? Aren't you atheists treating science as a god? Where you you get your morality from? And I get asked some less inquisitive/more rude questions as well. Surely I am not alone out here trying to do my best job of raising freethinking kids!!!
I am so grateful to Dale McGowan for his book Parenting Beyond Belief and to his blog The Meming of Life! For a long while these were the only resources that I knew of for atheist parenting. His book was like a breath of sanity for me in those days. I remember reading it cover-to-cover several times and reading his fiction, however distantly atheist in nature. I was craving good, current material written for, by, and about atheists.
Well, I don't mind being the lone voice. I am quite used to being a lone voice. But I would prefer to be a part of a growing community of like-minded parents, people out here in the world who are growing the atheist/secular presence in this world and on this WWW.
If you are an atheist blogger, please chime in!
If you are following other atheist parenting blogs, please pass them along to me!
And, if you are blogging, please get up the nerve to write about atheist parenting!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Mind the Gap
How an Atheist Discusses Religion with their Children
CAP: Carnival of Atheist Parenting
I've wondered this same thing. In fact I count learning to accept homeschooling advise from Christian sources as one of my biggest challenges as a beginning homeschooler. I don't blog, so I can't help with that. However if I did, I doubt I would ever say much about being an atheist. Not because I'm shy about it so much as it describes something I am not. I would write more about what I am, mother, artist, surfer and what I do and what interests me. The only time I think of not believing in a god is when someone else brings their belief to the conversation. It isnt something I ponder much or struggle with usually. Though it was initially hard to read god laden posts about homeschooling I learned to accept that someone who can believe in "the man upstairs" can also introduce me to Khan Academy. Just because I can't understand their beliefs doesn't mean they don't know anything of value....which was my initial reaction. However, I do find it refreshing to stop by.
ReplyDeleteOne guy got ahold of me and said that it is difficult because I am expecting people to OUT and OPEN and stating that they are atheist. Yes, I guess I am.
DeleteI'm in! It is hard to be an Atheist, but I wouldn't want it any different. Our true friends support and accept us, the rest doesn't matter!
ReplyDeleteI am second generation on both sides, but I don't write much about it on blog.
ReplyDeleteWhy? I don't know. Maybe because I'm not completely convinced of anything, including atheism, so I don't think my comments on it are important enough to share.
Come to think of it, I don't even talk about it IRL very often. I've been unpleasantly surprised in the past, after making comments under the assumption that the listening friend shared my views.
My intention with blogging about homeschool is to help others in the beginning, because I found SO much help from all of you (my go-to homeschool blogs) when I first started - so I don't want anyone to immediately write me off because I'm this or that. But that's just me. I'm glad that you write what you write. It is refreshing - how open you are about it.
I couldn't even begin to tackle topics like morality or science as a god. Perhaps it -is- a second generation thing - the not thinking so much about it part.
I saw your facebook appeal, but didn't chime in there. I guess I'll do it here. I think you're finding a lack of blogs because, to most people, the concepts of "being an atheist" and "being a parent" don't really interact that much. There are many ways an "average" atheist parent differs from an "average" religious parent of course, but in my day to day life, I don't "consult my atheism" to figure out parenting like a religious parent might. I don't know, maybe that's unusual.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we're in a unusual location, but in the various places I've lived in Kansas as an adult, my atheism is rarely a big deal: it almost never comes up. My mother might make an awkward joke about me not going to church, but it's just not an issue in the crowd I hang out with.
Anyway, I do have a blog in which I've discussed atheism and parenting and homeschooling, but those topics don't always overlap.
No, I get that, Tom. But there are MANY new atheist parents who are out there seeking guidance. I think that the blog carnival is useful, but maybe it won't fly.
DeleteHOWEVER, I do say that a blog doesn't have to BE an atheist blog, just that the post should address it somehow...
(shrug) Maybe the carnival won't really make it, but I had to try. LOL
Also, I'm sure that you have some QUAAP that would be perfect for the carnival.
Delete*wink*
Oh, I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't continue with CAP, it's a great idea if you can make it work! I was just putting out a possible reason why there aren't many articles explicitly about atheist parenting.
DeleteI do have a few articles which graze the subject of non-religious parenting, but none too directly, except for one. I'll submit the ones which might be appropriate. They're a bit older, though. Feel free to use or not!
Hey! I blog at http://lisabrowndesign.blogspot.com & http://www.homeschool-ish.com, but have been terrified to come out of the closet as an atheist. I've only officially told my sister (also an atheist), and my hubby knows too. He's been an atheist since birth. having gone to catholic school for 14 years, I'm terrified of how my friends, family, etc would react. I've been thinking about it again lately, and incorporating it into my homeschool blog. My son has been asking a lot about death, so I'm teaching him various beliefs about death. I thought that might be a good way to casually bring up the topic, but I'm undeniably scared to. :(
ReplyDeleteLisa, I welcome you here!!!!!!!
DeleteI am about to leave the house for the day, but I'll be back to read your blog this evening!
Hey Karen, it's Samantha. I don't blog much about atheist parenting as of right now be my "parenting" is limited to about 20% of the year and I dont want the bio mom to feel like I am attacking or insulting her parenting in any way ( she tends to jump to conclusion). maybe one day I can jump into the carnival, one day.But I WILL keep an eye out for ya! :)
ReplyDelete*wink*
DeleteI get it. I appreciate your efforts to care for her feelings.
http://kidswithoutgod.com/ Nice site btw, might help in finding others?
ReplyDeleteHmmm...yes, maybe! Thanks. I haven't seen this site.
DeleteI'll check it out and pass it along!
I emailed you a submission for your blog carnival, but never heard back from you and you never posted the carnival. Was I the only submission? :/ http://school-of-one-fish.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteMichelle! I'm sorry. I usually let bloggers know about the posting of the carnival. Here is the one with your post!!!!!!!!
Deletehttp://carnivalofatheistparenting.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/cap-blog-carnival-of-atheist-parents-2.html
My apologies for leaving you hanging and my appreciation for your participation!
Karen
Hi Karen, I need to get my act together! I can't believe the carnival hasn't been inundated. I've been thinking about starting a blog but I am so computer illiterate... I keep signing my messages anonymous on your blog because I can't figure out what the other options are... awful! I started the Secular Families Forum board on pinterest because I felt so alone as an atheist parent. Since, I've got chatting with so many fellow atheists who follow the board and I'm always surprised at how many of them are in the closet as atheist parents. To be honest I thought there was no need for an atheist parenting blog because yours is so good. It hadn't occurred to me that you might need support from fellow bloggers. I'm going to start reading all those pins I've been collecting about learning to blog and hopefully I'll be able to join your next carnival. All the best, Eugenia Coy
ReplyDeleteEugenia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteListen, is there any way I can help you with a blog?
First of all, do you WANT to blog or do you feel pressure to blog?
I am willing to figure out a way to help....want to email me about it?
Karen.Loethen (at) gmail.com
Hi Karen!
ReplyDeleteI was just doing the Google search and asking myself the same thing! (That's how I found you.) I was doing research to help decide what I want my blog niche to be (right now it's generic attachment parenting but I wanted something more specific). I haven't "come out of the closet" as a secular parent on my blog and, to be honest, I'm concerned about doing so since the mommy-blogosphere is so heavily right-wing Christian. Since I'm trying to build a supplemental income with my blog, I don't want to shoot myself in the foot. I would love, LOVE to be a part of a secular parenting blog network if you ever come across any. For now I'm just glad I found you!
Kassondra, for now you can post to the blog Carnival for Atheist Parenting OR just read it!
Deletehttp://carnivalofatheistparenting.blogspot.com.au/
PLEASE submit your blog pieces to the carnival even if they are not "atheist-specific".
I'll come and check out your blog too.
For now, WELCOME and I'm so happy to have met you!
DAng! Your blog is AMAZING!!!!!!! Nice work!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteThank you so much Karen! Wow, the holidays were phenomenally busy - first holiday with a baby and all. I will get something together for the carnival this month.
Delete