Reddit reviews Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children

You begin by discussing death. Read newspaper obituaries at breakfast. Discuss what people valued in their lives, and how they live on in the people who remember them, and the good deeds they performed while alive.

Next, explain why religions exist. They attempt to answer:

1. Where did we come from? (stellar and biologic evolution, and we are still learning)
   
   
2. Why are we here? (there is no inherent meaning to life, except the meaning we choose to give it. Share your meaning to your life.)
   
   
3. Where are we going? (We die when our bodies die, which makes our life so much more precious. Don't waste the time you have. Enjoy life, and help others along the way.)
   
   At age 5, you could truncate it to only a discussion about where we're going. Most importantly, religion exists because of peoples' fear of death. They want to live forever, so they invented gods. They also didn't understand anything about the world around them, why storms came and ruined their crops, what the lights were in the sky, etc. So they attributed these things to gods.
   
   As we've begun to understand the universe through scientific discovery, religious people have redefined their gods continuously throughout human history (the 'god of the gaps'). We understand weather, so we don't blame drought on gods being angry or good weather on gods being pleased with us.
   
   If the 8-year-old knows the truth about Santa Claus, it's a learning moment. Gods are Santa Claus for adults. They believe because it comforts them, so long as they don't think too deeply about the absurdity of their beliefs.
   
   For the 8-year-old, discuss the various major religions, and at the same time, ancient religions (both given equal legitimacy, which is to say, no legitimacy).
   
   Explain that almost all of their friends believe in gods. Most importantly, explain that people don't want to be told their gods aren't real. Explain that people feel so passionately about gods, like little kids feel passionately about Santa Claus, that they will treat you badly if you reveal you don't believe in gods. Religious friends might choose to not be your friend anymore if they know. Teach them to smile and change the subject, not to engage religious people in a religious discussion. Their lives will be hell if they don't because kids can be very cruel.
   
   Check out these books:
   
   
4. Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children. It's intended for kids who know the Santa secret, but I found it too simplistic for my 8-year-old. I read her the text and expanded on it, because it would otherwise be talking down to her. Use the book as a general approach to the subject.
   
   
5. Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief
   
   
6. [Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion](http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/](http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/). This one is great, but the least important, a collection of essays from prominent atheists on various parenting topics.
   
   

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Pretend-Freethought-Book-Children/dp/1877733059

this is a pretty good one.

See my flair.

Maybe some of these or books like these will help you explain things to your kids.

http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Beyond-Belief-Raising-Religion/dp/0814474268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326736652&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Pretend-Freethought-Book-Children/dp/1877733059/ref=pd_sim_b_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1TST6CPCNP7RGVV1RVT7

http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Yes-No-Dan-Barker/dp/0879756071/ref=pd_sim_b_5/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V

http://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Believe-Publishing/dp/0756672287/ref=pd_sim_b_2/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V

http://www.amazon.com/Older-than-The-Stars-Karen/dp/1570917884/ref=pd_sim_b_3/175-5906093-8191060?ie=UTF8&refRID=161YVFZQ1AYMJBH8S80V

I was raised UU and Humanist and these books from my childhood are what I remember really affecting me positively with UU & Humanist values:

Just Pretend: A Freethought Book for Children https://www.amazon.com/dp/1877733059/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_64s0xbYRMGMFG

Maybe Yes, Maybe No https://www.amazon.com/dp/0879756071/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_E6s0xb8KD232H

Maybe Right, Maybe Wrong https://www.amazon.com/dp/0879757310/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_d7s0xbT98RY8K

(Sorry about formatting, I'm on mobile)

Just pretend
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1877733059/ref=redir_mdp_mobile