(Part 2) Best products from r/atheistparents

It's kind of dependent on the kid, and how they like to learn.

Most kids like books with a ton of colorful illustrations.

The current kids (4.5) like coloring books, so we've got stuff like this, which combines a coloring page with a story about the page, so you color the page with your kid and talk about the story the picture represents:
https://www.amazon.com/Norse-Gods-Goddesses-Dover-Coloring/dp/0486433374/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483732160&sr=1-10&keywords=norse+mythology+for+kids

I can't find the specific book of Norse myths we got my now-10-year-old when she was about 6, but we read it often enough that she knew if we skipped sections or parts of the story. Pretty much all of D'Aulaires' books look good.

Also, the sets of modern fantasy by Rick Riordan are awesome and really well-written.

as /u/shafafa mentioned, library is a great source. We're reading Brigid's Cloak right now. The 200s are the Dewey decimal system for religion/mythology.

The way I introduced comparing these stories is something I like to call "Comparative Cinderology". Get a bunch of Cinderella stories: Disney Cinderella, Irish Cinderlad, Korean Cinderella, there's all sorts. They all exist to tell the story of an underdog who succeed due to a combination of good luck and virtue. They aren't true, they are just a convenient and memorable form to teach some form of morality. Which we may or may not agree with.

I give my boy the same answer when he asks why 'so and so' is allowed so many treats: every family is different.

His best friend is Muslim and he came home saying he believed in god a year ago. So we started learning about all the different gods with this amazing pop up book
https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Mythologica-Gods-Heroes-Pop-Up/dp/076363171X

I added in some books on evolution and space too for fun.

My basic feeling is that shielding him is only going to make him more vulnerable. My husband's family are Jehovah's witnesses and they spend so many hours indoctrinating their kids. I feel like a bit of time spent 'vaccinating' him against group think and anti science rubbish will take him further than keeping him away entirely.

We talk about 'tricky people's and I hope to move the conversation onto manipulation techniques like love bombing etc when he's older.

I have kids ranging from 3-7 and I really like the book the magic of everything and Have You Filled Your Bucket Today. The one teaches how amazing out world is on its on without the need for mythical gods, that science is fascinating and the other book teaches about being kind and generous for the sake of making yourself and other feel good not because a God requires is.

https://www.amazon.ca/Filled-Bucket-Today-Guide-Happiness/dp/0978507517

I have a ton of those types of books in my "Wish List" on Amazon.

I've been winging it until I can afford one and/or they become available. In the meantime, I've been reading about evolution with my young child. There's a book about critical thinking that I bought, too, that was really good. I know you want books on religion; I'm in the same boat as you-- I need some comparative religion books now! (The ones at the local library children's section were written on a pro-religion slant.)

I thought the 30-day Amazon Kindle "unlimited" trial membership would help me but NOPE. Unlimited, my ass.

Another thought: The "Kindle Unlimited" trial had a couple adult books on comparative religions. I intend to read them, educate myself, and then explain it to my little one as best I can.

Those children's books have been so hard to come by for me!!

Have you discussed maybe your wife getting a job teaching at a non-religious based preschool, if she just is wanting to work with kids?

In the 2 year old realm, you can counter-act a lot of what sticks with songs...all they do is sing songs about god/jesus and kids LOVE singing, they learn that way...there is a pretty great kids album called Science Fair that is all science based songs.

Good overall. They went over the story pretty well for a 4-7 age range. One thing that bugged me was they referred to the "mockingbirds" Darwin was so fascinated by on the Galapagos. I know they are part of the same family, but really, who has EVER heard of "Darwin's Mockingbirds"?

Other than that error, they talk about his beetles, the skeletons he found on the beach, the Galapagos tortoises, the beagle, etc. All the necessary basics, including a map of his journey.

The reviews on Amazon seem pretty positive, except for the person who got a used book that was written in (not the books fault)
http://smile.amazon.com/Animals-Charles-Darwin-Explorers-Chronicle/dp/0811850498/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404497298&sr=1-14&keywords=charles+darwin+childrens+book

While not specifically for pregnancy, I found these books incredibly helpful. They're written by neuroscience researchers at the University of Washington and my daughter and I ended up being selected as participants in some of their student's studies! The second book heavily influenced my parenting style (or reinforced what I was doing instinctively) and either I got lucky with a good kid or they're quite effective.

What's Going on In There: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First 5 Years of Life

and

The Scientist in the Crib

Ah! I can relate to this thread. I have bought a lot of parenting books and mean to get through them when I can. My favorites so far have been

• Peaceful Parenting
  https://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Parent-Happy-Kids-Connecting/dp/0399160280
  
  
• Gentle Discipline
  https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Discipline-Emotional-Connection-Not-Punishment/dp/0143131893
  
  
• Parenting Beyond Belief
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0814437419/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
  
  
  
• Raising Freethinkers
  https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960
  
  
• Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys
  https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Cain-Protecting-Emotional-Life/dp/0345434854
  
  
  I own the Whole Brain Child and just can’t finish it. The technical parts about the brain have stumped me and i kept having to reread paragraphs over and over so I moved on to something else.
  

You could try this book: Big Questions From Little People and Simple Answers From Great Minds. I bought it for my son but he’s 4 and I haven’t needed it yet. Some of the reviewers stated that it helped them with their 5-yr-olds. Good luck!

I can't recommend Emily Oster's Book Expecting Better highly enough! She provides a thoughtful review of current research on topics like alcohol/caffeine/epidurals, etc., and empowers women to make decisions for themselves. I encourage every pregnant woman to give it a read. http://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wrong/dp/0143125702

You could take a page from Twain and tell them it's a lot like the billions of years before they were born, only longer. You could also get a copy of the wonderful All My Friends Are Dead and read it together. It's a hoot!

Each Peach Pear Plum - get the boardbook version, it's adorable.

It's something you'll read to a kid for years and years: it's not overly long, it rhymes well, and as they get older they love trying to find the "hidden" fairytale characters.

I used to love Veggie Tales... now I see how insidious it is. Shit like this is teaching genocide to kids.