What is the right age to start talking to your child about magick/religion?

[Zenon]

Hey people, long time no see.  I hope you all had a fantastic solstice!

Here I am with a simple but serious question, for all of you parents and non parents.  What do you think?  My little boy is turning 5 later this year.

[RedRonin]

We've pretty much discussed and exposed the child to things since she was even tinier than what she is now (short joke).

5 isn't too young so long as the kid isn't overwhelmed with a truckload of detail, etc.  Keep is simple.

[Jennie]

We started very, very young. Our son has always participated in our monthly house blessings, and we had daily and nightly protective rituals for waking and sleeping that we recited with him from the time he was an infant. We taught him very early that words had power, and that he should use them carefully. Ethics has  been a strong part of his upbringing. We played energy and visualization games with him (catch the energy ball, etc.) These things are direct preparation for more advanced practice of magic. Think about this - when do people in other religions start to expose their children to prayer and ritual?

[Labrys]

My children were all a bit older when I came out as a pagan, the youngest was almost seven.  Were I starting over, I'd involve them from the start in small ways.

 For instance, back when I was Catholic, we didn't have theological discussions with our toddlers, but we stayed up late icing painting cookies before Christmas midnight mass so that they got the "special event" message.  I think pagan events would yield the same opportunity---painting cookies with icing and sprinkling them with various decorations from "magic bottles" perhaps named for the elements and filled with suitably shaped decorations? 

With young kids, I feel getting the concept of joy and special built in on a core of family traditions is the first step in any spiritual tradition.  And they will ask what it is for as it occurs to them to seek the deeper meanings.

[Gryphon]

According to the "experts" on human development, a child's view of the Divine is formed by age 8.

As Red said, the Rabbit has been exposed to spiritual stuff almost as soon as she was born. And since she was "festival got" you could say, even before she was born.

Obviously, you wouldn't teach a child high magicks any more than you would hand them the car keys or a loaded gun. But it's never too early to teach children the wonder of creation or to honor and care for the world around them.

At 5, a child is able to make you aware of his needs and concerns. Focus your magickal lessons on things that are relevant to his life.

I don't know if you ever looked at mt first book, but there are several stories about rituals, magic and Sabbats in the book that you might enjoy sharing with your son.

[Still Kate]

Ryan has been exposed to my beliefs since he was born too.

I guess I started explaining things when he started asking questions.

Best wishes
Kate. xx

[Zenon]

Thank you all for your experiences.

I am in a mixed-belief home (my wife has beliefs different than mine).  I've been of the attitude of not shoving my beliefs in my child's face (i.e. sitting him down on a table and injecting him the whole tale of religion) and talking to him about it as it's been brought up.  But since he's starting to go to school and virtually anyone can walk up to him and preach insanity to his young mind, I've decided it might be time to talk to him about these things, but I don't really know how because he is still not visibly interested in the existence of any god but himself.   I'm not particularly fond of preaching to him myself - it would be the same thing as some evangelist.

I hope I can figure out how to do this.  I was thinking of doing a blessing for him and explaining what it's for.  Or letting him attend one of the Sabbats we have in my circle.

[Ara]

Think about this - when do people in other religions start to expose their children to prayer and ritual?

That's what I was thinking, Jennie.  How often do you see newborns all dressed up to go to church, put into sunday school as soon as they are old enough, etc?  I think that religion is something that you can't hide from a child when they're younger.  I know that my brother was going to vacation bible school since he was three, and he was trying to preach it to me!  (That was about the time that I came out of the broom closet to my dad and he and his wife were none too happy about it.)

Always--
Ara

[Rowan CedarWolf]

With my oldest two children, I waited a while to involve them or even talk to them about my beliefs. I thought that when they were old enough to understand "to be silent" was a good age. By the time I had my youngest, I was "out of the closet" and involved him from day one. I was a single parent so I really didn't have a choice, if I didn't bring him in circle with me I would end up cutting doorways all night to attend the crying baby. I will never forget the night I met one of my closest friends. We were attending an open ritual, at the local grove. I was just intoduced to everyone and my son who was I think 4 at the time looked up at the sky then tugged on my shirt and says very plainly and loudly, "Mommy, it's a full moon. We have to do witchcraft on the full moon." At that point everyone there went out of their way to makes us feel very welcome. And the woman hosting the event is now one of my closest friends.

[Zenon]

With my oldest two children, I waited a while to involve them or even talk to them about my beliefs. I thought that when they were old enough to understand "to be silent" was a good age. By the time I had my youngest, I was "out of the closet" and involved him from day one. I was a single parent so I really didn't have a choice, if I didn't bring him in circle with me I would end up cutting doorways all night to attend the crying baby. I will never forget the night I met one of my closest friends. We were attending an open ritual, at the local grove. I was just intoduced to everyone and my son who was I think 4 at the time looked up at the sky then tugged on my shirt and says very plainly and loudly, "Mommy, it's a full moon. We have to do witchcraft on the full moon." At that point everyone there went out of their way to makes us feel very welcome. And the woman hosting the event is now one of my closest friends.

that's nice!

[Brijrian]

I'm glad you started this thread. I've been pondering that myself due to being in the closet with most of my (and my husband's) family.

I believe that you can talk to you child about religion from day one. Especially when you are out for a nature walk.

The only limiting factor is how terrified you are of anyone else finding out about your religion because children like to talk.

My challenge is going to be deciding how much to tell my son. If he starts singing the pagan music I love to listen to at Grandma and Grandpa's...I guess I won't have a choice about staying in the closet to my family and will have to face that!

*Brijrian