Atheist parenting advice - Church run preschool?

[*Deidre*]

While you need to do what's best for your family and financial situation, I vote "no." This is how indoctrination begins, at young ages. While the world is filled with people who will challenge us on our views, and I'm not suggesting to shelter one's kids by any means, I wouldn't pay for a child to attend a school that teaches concepts that go totally against the fundamental beliefs of the family.

My two pennies. :-)

[SteelCurtain]

It's just that indoctrination doesn't work unless it is continued after Pre-K. If your kid goes to a normal school for Kindergarten and after, then the "indoctrination" of 3 year olds only goes as far as they can remember it. Like I said before, I don't remember anything from my church Pre-K. As long as you instill rational thinking and skepticism in your child, the "indoctrination" doesn't go far past story-time. It's all the same for three year olds. What is important is that they are in a school like environment where they are starting to learn and socialize. He'll be miles ahead of Kindergartners that didn't go to Pre-K, as long as it's a school and not just a church daycare.

[Fromper]

Have you talked to the school about your concerns? Call them up and ask how much Christianity plays a part in an average day there. Feel them out to see if they really push it daily, or if it's something that only comes up around holidays. There's a big difference between them teaching kids to say grace every day at lunch time vs not mentioning religion except around Christmas and Easter.

You may want to leave off why you're asking at first, though, just so they don't lie to you just to appease you. Let them guess as to whether you're worried that it'll be too religious or not religious enough, so they're forced to tell the truth instead of tailoring their answer to your expectations.

[MindForgedManacle]

Honestly, I'd go for it. Of course, I'm a 20-year old non-parent so can't say much from experience. I do have a 4-year old half-brother who, despite growing up in a household of quite religious people here in the Bible-belt (sans-me, and to a lesser to degree my step-dad, his dad) doesn't seem to really get religion yet. Now sure, my Mom's tried getting him to say retarded stuff like "Praise Jesus!", but as expected of a 4-year old, it's in one ear, out the other.

Anyway, I don't think shelter your kids from religion, or at the very least not in some forceful manner. If they wanna check it out (say a friend invites them to church), let 'em go for it; they will be bore as Hell if they have to listen to an actual sermon.
Your kids will be around religion rather quickly in life, so in my inexpert opinion, the key is to teach them the right way to think, the right mindset, the right questions to ask and to love learning about the world they're in. If this leads them to become religious, so be it. They'll likely be an intelligent religious person. If it leads them to reject religion, then so be it. They'll likely be an intelligent non-religious person. A bonus here is that your kid(s) are less likely to resent you the way many fundamentalists-turned-atheists resent their parents for a harshly religious upbringing.

TL;DR

Teach them to question, to love learning, and to approach the world with an open mind ready to accept whatever seems to pass their test of rationality. If they want to know your views on it, by all means give it to them. Just try not to force it on them, even if it seems they're heading down the religious path.


^Probably the naivety of a non-parent