I recently received a copy of Soul to Soul Parenting – A Guide to Raising a Spiritually Conscious Family, from the author recently. This title would not normally be something that catches my eye so I was skeptical but I guess in many ways I have longed to create more spirituality in my kids lives. When I grew into adulthood and decided that Christianity and I needed to part ways I think I swung too far in the opposite direction. My issue was not with the idea of a divine power. My issue was/is with religion. Religion is made up men and women who have narrow ideas and views who like to claim their beliefs are TRUTH. These same people also like to use fear (of hellfire or eternal punishment) and political systems to FORCE everyone else to adopt these same values and beliefs. In my mind it is the biggest racket there ever was or ever will be.
This has nothing to do with spirituality though. According to Wikipedia, spirituality is an “inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live”. What I liked about Soul to Soul Parenting is that it is appropriate for parents of any faith or belief system. I think Christian parents could read and use it well and so could Wiccans. It is series of methods and themes to encourage growth of that inner path.. no matter what ideological bend you follow. One of the first parenting vehicles discussed was a weekly family meeting. My family had weekly Bible studies growing up and I really enjoyed them. I have often thought about how I could recreate that without the benefit of religion. But we could still have a weekly meeting to discuss themes like kindness, giving, finances, respect, work ethic, responsible sexuality, a connection to nature, social justice… the topics are endless. The only thing different would be that these meetings would be a time for sharing ideas and beliefs as food for thought, not handing out a long list of do’s and don’ts. Another parenting vehicle I loved was the idea of spiritual rituals. My favorite section though discussed the Law of Attraction which I think more closely aligns with my beliefs. I have tried to use LOA concepts in my life for while now and recently went to a weekend lecture about this topic too.
Other topics covered were boundaries, our bodies as a sacred vessel, the idea of many paths, our eternal nature, self love, gratitude, forgiveness, and faith. I think this book would be awesome for parents who do have a a set faith and religion but it is also good for those who just want bring more spirituality into their lives without the dogma of religion.
