Growing Up Godless, Growing Up Godless, A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids without Religion by Mitchell, Deborah -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Epigraph Contents Foreword A Disclaimer Introduction Things to Learn

Raising Kids without Religion How to Find Me in Heaven: My Big Lie Big Questions and Little Kids In the Beginning What I Tell My Kids about Heaven Creating a Moral Structure Discipline without God Developing Critical Thinking Skills I Have a Plan for Me: How We Help Our Children Find Meaning New Commandments What Is Good, and How Do We Teach Kids Right from Wrong? What Happens When We Die: Talking to Kids about Their Mortality Crazy Kids and Fearful Parents Who Needs Church?: Keeping Kids Out of Trouble Guardian Angels: What I’ve Taken from My Children Why Moms Pray Prayer, Clarity, and Self-Comfort Old Moms Sex, Sluts, and Madonnas Girls: Subjects and Objects Terrorists Can Two Boys Marry? Violence and Crime and Emotional Health Sometimes Cheaters Win New Drivers: Creating a Healthy Conscience Letting Go: When Children Leave

Teachers and Peers

Let’s Teach Religion in the Classroom God in School: Teachers Who Recruit On the Playground What to Tell Classmates Bad Babies Taking God’s Thunder versus Taking Life Are We Smarter than a Sixth-Grader?: Fear of the Unknown Intelligent Design: A Misnomer? Sleepover Please Don’t Ask God for a Win How to Handle Prayer Groups Boy Scouts and Other Options

Family and Friends

Coming Out to Family and Friends When to Spill the Beans Leaving Dealing with Death in the Family Ways to Help the Dying Eulogy from a Physicist Instead of “I’ll Pray for You” Disapproving Grandparents Request for Advice: When Kids Are a Little Older The Best Thing We Can Give to Our Kids Parents and Marriages of Different Faiths Love Social Networking Etiquette for Nonbelievers Misconceptions and Learning to Live without Knowing

Rituals and Holidays

Mystery and Creating Rituals Church Manners and Old Rules Happy Meal Baptism They Had Good Food He “Decides” Giving Thanks Agnostic Prayers That Silly Santa—I Mean, Satan Celebrating Christmas The Reason for the Season Hearsay Milk and Cookies for Santa Easter Candy Easter without Religion An Easter Story: Forgiveness and Little Things Perspective from an Ex–Jehovah’s Witness

In the Community

God in the Doctor’s Office Homeschooling: Keeping Your Opinion to Yourself No, Thanks: The Church Lady at the Gym Other Awkward Situations in Our Communities A Hero at the Car Wash Nonbelievers in Government Tithing

Lessons Learned

Why I Don’t Believe Let’s Think about This Story a Little Seeds Turning the Other Cheek: Our Kids Teach Us Lessons, Too Nag: A Better Way to Teach a Lesson Desensitizing the Next Generation Dumb Parents Smile The Catholic Argument Failure Separation Anxiety Win-Win Why I Don’t Take Rejection Personally God Bless You and Other Things We’re Not Supposed to Say Dress Rehearsal Rivers: Why We Should Embrace Our Neighbors Understanding Last Words from the Cross Conclusion

Resources for Nonbelievers Acknowledgments About the Author