Pagan version of YMCA?

[wynkenblynken&nod]

Is there such a program? I live in the 'burbs of Dallas, Texas and it's hard to find anything here that isn't in your face Christian. It is taboo to not be white Christian middle class public schoolers in favor of death penalties, war and guns : . Yeah, I'm not well liked in our neighborhood, and it's tough asking that sort of thing to people who are offended by your very existence. :ignore :

Someone linked to a pagan scouting site this week and it got me thinking about it. My worry is that my kids aren't getting enough activities outside or at least where they can run and jump without bandaids. The Texas heat and humidity is stifling and I have learned that it is dangerous to take the kids out when its hot (between 8am-9pm) *sigh* That won't work for us.

Any ideas are welcome, please help the mom considering giant hamster wheels in the living room! Thank you! :

Olivia

[Nature]

I don't think I know of a Pagan version of the YMCA. You mentioned scouting, so I'm assuming you know about Spiral Scouts already. My dd really loves being in that program and we find it fits our lifestyle very well. Do you have any local pagans that you're friends with? I know we get together and have the kids play together frequently and that helps.

[wynkenblynken&nod]

My best friend and her family

are pagan, and we get together often. She's not feeling well right now so we are probably going to make get well cards for her today. I would like to find another way to meet other pagans or non religious parents and perhaps get together with them. There isn't much we can do outside on a regular basis. I am very interested in spiral scouts...perhaps that can be something I can get my son into.

*going to the website now*

Thanks for your help!

Liv

[Nature]

No problem! Have you checked out Witchvox.com? They have many different types of Pagan paths there, and you can find local groups. I've been able to connect with a lot of kid friendly groups through there. Over the past 2 years I was able to make quite a bunch of pagan friends for my children to share fun with. A few of them became my best friends.

[wynkenblynken&nod]

Thank you so much!

: I've got some reading to do but I didn't want to forget to thank you.

[teastaigh]

I know several pagan and two athiest families who attend UU churches for the acceptance, open-mindedness, and activities for their children and teens. We went to a UU church just to be free to speak outside of our home when we lived in a staunchly conservative, rascist, uneducated, Bible-belt, book-burning, gun-wielding, hick town for about 8 years.

By the way, if children have themselves -- a sense of self and enjoyment of who they are -- and healthy family interations, they're really not missing out on anything, in my opinion. On the contrary, they are extraordinarily blessed.

peace,
teastaigh

[wynkenblynken&nod]

Sorry for sounding silly, but what is UU?

And have you lived in my city because that is EXACTLY what it is like. Sometimes, when people look at me, I feel like they expect me to break out in "YEEEHAW, Amen, FRY that sumb*****". I shiver and excuse myself to go wash my face.

We had to name our school, due to homeschooling laws here in Texas. Ours is S********'s (Our last name) School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Can't wait for the hatemail on that one My kids just love Harry Potter and so I'm making them different little cloaks, (mesh looking) capes for the summer with little wizard's hats. I can't wait. I got some moon and stars material that I think they are going to love and I'm just going to sew the cloth to posterboard and then to a headband (so it doesn't hurt little heads). I am sure we are going to get some stares but I think it will be so much fun! I've just got to be selective on where we go so my kids don't see it get nasty

It's enough to make a girl wanna move.

Anyway, I did sign the kids up for a program at the Dallas Children's Museum on wednesday's for an hour and a half. It sounds like fun...I wonder if they'll be ok with the kids in wizard's "uniforms" :LOL

Thanks for all of your help, ladies!

Olivia

[Nature]

UU stands for Unitarian Universalist. They are a church that is very open and accepting towards people of all different religions. I cannot say how my experience with them has been, since I haven't gone to one, but others I've heard enjoy it.

Your uniforms sound wonderful! Your children will have so much fun. I can't wait til my little ones are old enough to "officially" start homeschooling.

[phathui5]

I work at the YMCA in Baltimore, and there's not much of the C there.

[SeekingSimplicity]

I have been a YMCA member for a couple of years. I was hesitant to join at first because of their Christian based mission statement but I did anyway and am very glad I did.

I don’t feel they are pushing their Christian beliefs on me. They have a lot of great classes and programs to offer. My kids love it and have made a few friends there.

[wynkenblynken&nod]

See, that sounds SO good to me

I am not so much worried about hearing about other religions as I am about it being stated as fact and not opinion (or feelings) particularly to our children. I have had some run ins with Bryan's coworkers who found out we were pagan . Somehow the boss's daughter found out and told everyone we were devil worshipers : . I used to take cookies up to his work to leave in the breakroom and I had to rush the kids out of there. They are lucky my sister didn't come with me that time. My momma always said "Hell hath no fury like a p*ssed off mama" :LOL

He lost his job due to "downsizing" pretty soon afterwards. Turns out, it was the best thing that could have happened to us. He found a ok stepping stone job which lead him to the company he is at now, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE and now he's making TWICE what he was, plus his coworkers are really nice people. We are very lucky.

His old company was EXTREMELY christian. The boss's daughter had a public viewing of The Passion of Christ in the conference room. They threw christianity in your face all the time, then they committed adultery and did it in the office!! This made me be both weary of being around christians and weary of letting anyone in real life know I was pagan. Then one of my best friends told me something that will live on in infamy.....GET OVER IT, OLIVIA! :LOL I am still weary and less vocal, but I'm not so stressed over it all the time. It is just hard to remember that it was the acts of a specific person or group of persons and not a whole religion. Being in Texas makes it hard to draw the distinction, particularly in the heat which makes people irritable.

Thank you guys so much for your help! I think I AM going to look into the YMCA here, it would be kind of narrow minded not to, now that I think about it.

With love,

Olivia

[boysrus]

our ymca is not christian at all!
They actually run a program called One River, Many Wells(or something like that) and they bring in speakers of different backgrounds to talk about different philosphies. They also hae dynamic meditation. There hasnt been anything christian in any of the programming

[wynkenblynken&nod]

Boysrus

What ages is that program targeted to? It sounds like something I'd really like to do with the kids. Thanks you guys!

[boysrus]

those were either adult programs or all ages. I was just listing them to show how non-conservative christian my y is

[rsps]

there's nothing Christian about my YMCA either -- I go for aerobics and to use the pool and the kids enjoy the playground and swimming. They have also done gymnastics in the past.