Humanist Parenting
Welcome to the Parenting section of the Institute for Humanist Studies website. These pages explore the unique challenges faced by secular families, as well as some specifically humanist responses to issues all families may experience.
To navigate this section, use the links under the PARENTING tab in the side bar to the left.
The Chambers Pocket Dictionary defines "humanism" as "seeking, without religion, the best in, and for, human beings." These web pages aim to enable parents to put that humanist philosophy into practice by helping them bring out the best in their children so that they can experience the best in life.
Humanist parents often face something of a paradox: there is a dearth of resources for parents that are explicitly labeled "humanist" or "atheist," but there's a plethora of resources that can help humanist parents raise compassionate, creative children who can think critically and scientifically. The IHS parenting pages aim to bridge that gap by providing explicitly humanist perspectives on parenting and family life, and also including humanist reviews, analysis and links to the many materials already out there that humanist families can utilize.
In this section you will find: columns by and for humanist parents; reviews of books, DVDs, games and other products for parents and children; a section on secular ceremonies and rites of passage; academic analysis of key issues and claims about parenting and child development; and a list of links to other resources for humanist families, including discussion forums.
Our Humanist Parenting section is made possible by the hard work of Dale McGowan, editor of the book Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion, and Molleen Matsumura, the "Sweet Reason" advice columnist; as well as Matt Cherry, executive director of the Institute for Humanist Studies, and others.
If you have suggestions for improvements or additions to the IHS Humanist Parenting pages, please email us.