Children and Ritual: The Great Debate

Thirdly, you must consider the maturity of the child. Maturity as defined by Webster means "Ripe; perfect; completed; ready." Maturity is gained not through the adding of candles to the birthday cake, but through experience and education. Children are not all cut from the same cloth. Blanket rules based on the age of the child would unfairly generalize all children. A child that does not know basic circle etiquette regardless of their age would be an unnecessary burden upon the entire group. Basic courtesies such as not touching other member's ritual tools (drums, rattles, etc.) should be well-established rules of thumb before a child is brought to a ritual.

There is a more relaxed atmosphere at a pagan gathering. These are safe places for children to explore and make new friends. It is important to do some research before you bring your child to a ritual. You know your child better than anyone else and ultimately it will be your decision whether to have him/her accompany you. With a little preparation everyone will walk away completely fulfilled.

Please feel free to comment on this topic in the discussion area.

More information:

How Do We Include Kids in Ritual Without Making Adults Run Screaming?

http://www.widdershins.org/vol7iss6/03.h...

Creating Ritual: Courtesies (written by fellow Suite101.com editor, Myrrha)

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/paga...

What to do, oh what to do... Ritual etiquette in circle

http://connectionsjournal.com/files/arch...

For even more information, please check the links page often. New links are posted frequently.

Go To Page: 1 2