Pagan Parenting for the Under 5’s
Greetings. Hope everyone’s November is going well. This month I’d like to focus on the upcoming Yule season, which I’m sure you are all excited about. This month’s article will be a bit short since this season is so busy, I’m sure you don’t have time to read a long article.
What are your plans for Yule? Do you have set traditions that you do every year? Do you do a ritual? Have you just not gotten around to celebrating yet? If you’re anything like me, the Yule season is so busy you don’t do nearly as much as you’d like to, to celebrate. Don’t feel that you have to do any or all of the ideas here. Do what works best for your family. I’m just going to provide some ideas.
Pre-Yule
Read Yule Books. I will never stop suggesting that people read. I think it’s important and what better way to explain Yule to your kids than to read them books. There aren’t many books available that were written for a Pagan child but there are books on the Winter Solstice that are appropriate. Here are a few:
The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer
The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World by Carolyn McVickar Edwards
Use an Advent Calendar. Okay so it won’t exactly be an advent calendar as Advent means the coming of Christ but it will be a countdown calendar. It doesn’t have to be like a calendar either. What we like to do is cut strips of paper the width of a ruler out of green and red paper. We write down on each one, one thing we’d like to do in December such as read a holiday book, go for a winter walk, bake cookies, listen to holiday music etc…. Then we make a chain out of them, and hang it up. Each day we take apart one chain and do what it says. It’s a fun way to countdown.
Decorate. This is an easy one. Most Christmas decorations will work for Yule and if you don’t like the selection, you can always make something. Decorate a wreath with fake berries, holly and red and green balls and ribbon.
Yule
Ritual. Ritual is not for everyone but if it’s for you, do a simple Yule ritual. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. Put up a circle, have light a yule log (if you don’t have a fireplace, you can drill holes in a small log and insert candles to burn) and do a meditiation. If you are including your child(ren) omit the meditation and sing some Yule carols. (http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/songbook/carols/)
Dinner. You can either make it a small dinner for immediate family or hold a dinner party, whatever is within your ability. It doesn’t have to be a turkey dinner. (http://www.unc.edu/~reddeer/recipe/rec_yule.html)
Post-Yule
Meditation. I think post-holiday is the best time to do meditation. You’ve already experienced the holiday and can properly reflect on it. Just envision yourself walking into a snowy wooded area. Make it a long walk, deeper and deeper into the woods. When you finally get to the center you are in a clearing. A deer approaches you and give you a message. Leave a (mental) gift and walk back. Obviously the meditation would take a lot longer than it did for me to write those basic ideas down. Stretch it out.
Yule Log. Make sure you keep the last little bit of your yule log (or last bit of candles from fake yule log) for next year.
All right that’s it for this month, I hope you’ve found something helpful. As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please email me at [email protected]. I always welcome comments here to of course; it’s great to know my article is being read. Happy Yule!