Quaker Beliefs, Values, and Practices as Guides to Our Parenting

Participants define what each means to them and share experiences of using Quakerism as they live with and guide their children. Four one-hour sessions.

 

Discussion Series Outline

Objectives

Introduce participants to Quaker beliefs, testimonies and practices

Share parenting experiences

Discuss how Quaker beliefs, testimonies and practices can guide and support our parenting.

Plan

Week 1

• Introductions
• Basic tenets of the Quaker faith:
• Homework assignment: What are our beliefs? What are two or three guiding principles which we try to live by?
• Quaker testimonies:
• Another assignment: What are the values most important to you, the ones you are likely to pass on to your children?
• List situations, which our children have encountered during the week.
• Introduce brainstorming
  • Brainstorm possible responses to situations listed.

Week 2

• Welcome everyone again.
• Look at the responses given last session to how to keep differing expectations of parents from harming our child. Consider:
  • What would the consequences of each be?
  • Based on the values you hold dear, which response would you choose?
• Worship sharing around the clarity and strength of our faith now as compared with "BC", before children. Has your faith changed? How?
• Look at the situation taken from list compiled last week.
  • What might our responses be?

Week 3

• Think of a value or two which you hold dear, which you hope your children will embrace.
• Pick a situation and brainstorm responses. Which response would you choose based on your values?
• Talk about the Quaker practices.

Week 4

• Pick up on themes from previous weeks
• Look again at Quaker practices. Which have you used with your child?
• As we look at how we can respond to situations, how we can guide our child to make choices, keeping in mind their developmental level.
• Take another situation
  • Brainstorm possible responses
• Close with worship sharing