The Family Skeptical

We start out talking about our new Halloween tradition. Then we get into Trump's latest anti-atheist activity and end up talking about him more generally. If you'd rather skip it and ignore his existence for a bit, honestly, I get it. That segment runs from 14:55 - 37:50. Then we talk about forgiveness. Are we forgiving? Does religion help to be forgiving? I think I needed this conversation more than I knew.   Now the links: American Atheists (get on their email lists for news updates)  Thank God I'm An Atheists's Episode: When Faith and Cruelty Collide with the story of the Mormon fundraiser Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Episode: The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail (And why is this season getting so much hate? We're really enjoying it.)  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We begin the episode discussing Alex Jones's epic facial hair fail. Then we discuss Ryan Walters's exit from Oklahoma schools. And we finish up talking about weirdos, and how to think about what to do when your kid is trending weird.  Now the links: Our episode, Battle of the O States  Professor Neil's Video Of Montreal  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes. The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

This episode became one big family update somehow. We start out discussing our new pronoun situation. Then we get into Moms's current mental health or lack thereof. And we finish off with a discussion about Go's thoughts on death and how we've discussed death more generally. (And if you want to see the picture we discuss at the end, check out our social media.)  Now the links: I Will Die On This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World  Subculture Vulture  Our episode on the move: I'll Take My Coping Mechanisms From Skepticism Not Religion, Thank You Very Much  Our episode, How To Get Over a Fear of Hell  The Handsome Podcast: Ilana Glazer Asks About God  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

Oh brains are fun. This was a bit of a hodge podge. We started out the episode discussing the great time the kids had at Camp Quest and how it's led into a family Dungeons & Dragons game. Then we talked about the new Catholic AI chatbot, Catholic Answers. And we finished up with a discussion of how we did and did not teach the kids about religion. Now the links (so many links): Camp Quest  The episode about my disastrous religious camp experience  An Atheist Debates Catholic Answers  Our episode about whether or not your kids should be able to pick Jesus out of a lineup  The Scathing Atheist  Atheist Bible Study  Data / Dogma  Dan McClellan on Instagram  Good Omens - I totally get it if you're avoiding Neil Gaiman properties right now. Exploding Kittens  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We start out talking about the kids being away at Camp Quest. Then we discuss the new Superman film. And we finish up observing how complex it can be leaving the house. Now the links: Camp Quest  The Speech Prof on Superman  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

Moms begins the episode talking about her mental health, and a question she has about communicating with Reader's therapist. Then we dive into a particularly bad argument made on Alisa Childer's podcast, and finish up discussing a response in Slate's Dear Prudence that might have missed some big questions about a kid attending his friend's church. Now the links: Calling Out False Teachers: What Does the Bible Say? with Christopher Yuan  Dear Prudence: Help! My Son Wants to Go to Church. Uh, I'm Not Sure I Can Support This. He's going to be the odd one out. (Apologies if this is behind a paywall. But also, Slate is great, and if you can, it's worth supporting them for the extra segments on Care and Feeding alone.) The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We start out talking about everything that has happened in the last few weeks. Then Pops gives an update on his evolving thoughts on guns. Moms talks about a time when her skepticism briefly abandoned her. And we finish up discussing how saying that secular parenting is "hard" might not be the best description. If you want to skip the discussion of We're Here, go to 46:48. Now the links: Everytown for Gun Safety: "Research shows that having access to a firearm triples one's risk of death by suicide."  Alastair Lichten: A Humanist Dad  Nikki McClure  Ian's YouTube Channel  Ian vs Jordan Peterson  Jordan Peterson vs 20 Atheists (the whole video)  American Humanist Association: Fostering Healthy Masculinity In Our Kids  Our episode about how heaven falls short: Heaven for Climate?  We're Here  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

In our first conversation we learn that we might have very different feelings about the boys and guns. Then we discuss why the manosphere may have done a better job than other media at reaching young men. And we finish up talking about Netflix's Adolescence. If you want to skip the discussion of Thunderbolts, go to 24:30. Now the links: Support for Christian Nationalism in All 50 States: Findings from PRRI's 2023 American Values Atlas  Dear Old Dads Episode: Does Society Tell Boys They're Bad?  Queer Black Canon Podcast  The Speech Prof  Professor Neil  More Perfect Union  Adolescence  Alastair Lichten: A Humanist Dad  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9!), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We start by discussing the fact that Go feels like he's been stalked by Christianity. Then we try to define Christian Nationalism. And we finish talking about why we call ourselves atheists and are even talking about this topic.   Now the links: Our Interview on Under the Influence: Raising Good Humans Without God: A Secular Parenting Survival Guide The Satanic Temple's Seven Tenets  Data / Dogma  God Makes Dog Breeds  God creating animals  The Tim & April Show from The New Evangelicals: Exposing the Christian Nationalist Network Fueling Trump  Our episode on How to Get Over a Fear of Hell  Humanists UK's article on What Kind of Atheist Are You that does a good job defining some of the terms we used.  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (9!), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

This is a short one. We discuss an issue at Go's school that made him feel singled out as a secular kid. And then we talk about how we'd both like to be more involved in our community, but we're tired. But maybe we won't be soon. I think this is the great myth of adulthood - that there will be some time when we're not exhausted and stretched thin. So you just have to do the things anyway.   Now the links: The 5 Calls App  Chop Wood, Carry Water  The Save Act  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

***First things first, join Pops on CAN's first fundraiser! April 25th at 7pm ET. https://m.twitch.tv/dissonancepod/home *** We start the episode talking about our Spring Break at Colonial Williamsburg. And then we hear a bit more from Alastair Lichten, a humanist activist and community organiser. He writes about political and social issues, parenting, family, relationships and life from the perspective of a progressive humanist parent, on his blog: A Humanist Dad. Alongside various voluntary roles, Alastair has led on education campaigns for the UK's National Secular Society, and local groups for Humanists UK, and in this discussion, I ask more about what he's learned about the effects of religious education. We finish up talking about two episodes of Dear Old Dads and how we feel about sleepovers and trusting other people with our kids. And the answer is…. I know this is going to be shocking… Complex. Now the links: A Humanist Dad A Humanist Dad on Facebook  Search Engine's episode on AI: Playboi Farti and His AI Homework Machine  Dear Old Dads' episode: Who Can Fix the Men?  Dear Old Dads' episode: Sleepovers!  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We begin the episode talking about a school project that inspired Go. And then we speak with Alastair Lichten, a humanist activist and community organiser. He writes about political and social issues, parenting, family, relationships and life from the perspective of a progressive humanist parent, on his blog: A Humanist Dad. Alongside various voluntary roles, Alastair has led on education campaigns for the UK's National Secular Society, and local groups for Humanists UK. The blog always makes me think about topics we could cover, and I love his advice at the end of the interview about not standing up to bullies alone.  Now the links: A Humanist Dad  A Humanist Dad on Facebook  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We begin the episode talking about finding camps for the boys. And then we speak with Katie from Camp Quest about secular fostering. And we finish up with a discussion about the expectations we have for our relationships in honor of Valentine's Day. Now the links: Katie talking about her background and family on the Queer Family Podcast  Camp Quest  Camp Quest Instagram  Our episode about resolutions: New Year's… Well Not Resolutions   Karlos Dillard  Karlos Dillard on Instagram Laura Foster Parent Partner on Instagram  Brittany Collins - Foster the Teens on Instagram (another amazing person talking about fostering)  The Burnt Toast: Why America is Scared of Single Women (I think this is the episode I reference? Why do I never write these down as I'm listening?)  Savage Love (I can't find the episode I referenced on the show.)  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe, leave a rating and tell a friend to check us out.  

We begin the episode talking about the LA fires and our inability to cover current events. And then we speak with Katie about Camp Quest, a summer camp founded on the conviction that all kids deserve fun, friends, and freethought. Not only does Katie give great advice about knowing when kids are ready for sleepaway camp, but the whole mission and vibe of Camp Quest is a lesson in treating children with respect and care. It's a reminder of how much work and thought it takes to create amazing spaces for kids, but also the magic that can come out of that effort.  Now the links: Camp Quest  Camp Quest Instagram  Katie talking about her background and family on the Queer Family Podcast  The Scathing Atheist  Thank God I'm an Atheist (also great for more current secular news) YMCA LA  Pasadena Humane Society  Atheists United  Starts With One Today  The Animal Rescue Mission  United Friends of the Children  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  We were included on a list of the Top 70 Atheist Podcasts. Check it out to find other great creators. Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.

***Heads up - This was recorded before the LA fires. Pops and I lived in LA longer than anywhere else and we've been watching friends evacuate and places we loved destroyed. We'll be posting where we're donating soon, and we'll share if we have anything useful to say other than that this is horrible in ways we truly couldn't imagine. We started the episode talking about a bit of our holiday travels. Then we discussed New Year's Resolutions - how they don't work, how we still aren't consistent, and how we might plan better and with a little more wiggle room for the weirdness life can bring. And finally we ran through some things that are on our minds for 2025.   Now the links (we were reasonable for once): We've Got Issues - The Where's My Village Episode  Care and Feeding - The Making (and Keeping) Parent Friends Episode  Laura Simms - Your Career Homecoming  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  We were included on a list of the Top 70 Atheist Podcasts. Check it out to find other great creators.  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Good job making it through the end of 2024! We began talking about the kids' adventures in basketball and swimming. And then we spoke a little more with Paul Golin, Executive Director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism about my secular Judaism crisis. And finally, we discussed our interview on One Bad Mother, Biz asking if we have any fun, and all the things we think are super enjoyable about skeptical parenting - including storytelling, and how this all relates to Christmas and The Christmas Carol…and snails. I swear it hangs together a bit more than it seems in the description. And did you catch the Scrooged quote at the end? I swear I did not manufacture that moment. We quote that film all the time, all year long. Now the links: Paul Golin  The Society for Humanistic Judaism  SHJ Congregations, Communities and Havurot  Care and Feeding Podcast - How Do I Raise Jewish Kids Right Now?  Our Interview on One Bad Mother  Forrest Valkai  Volcano Snails  Wings of Fire  Albert Finney Scrooge  Scrooged  How The Christmas Carol changed Christmas  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11!) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We began with some musings about our Thanksgiving trip and what the boys thought of our last topic. And then we spoke with Paul Golin, Executive Director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism. We talked about having an expansive definition of what it means to be Jewish, secular Judaism, Pops's interest in igtheism, and so much more. I found his notes about the challenges of building community and how to do it anyway particularly useful during this time.  Now the links: Paul Golin  The Society for Humanistic Judaism  Humanistic Judaism Discussion on Facebook (Pops joined before me which is very on-brand)  SHJ Congregations, Communities and Havurot The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (11!) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

Heads up - this was recorded before the election, but we only discuss it very briefly at the end in a way that hopefully won't make you feel more awful than you already do. That being said, we began with a story about watching Tig Notaro specials with the boys and what an amazing role model she is. Then Moms explains how she thinks the atheist community could have done better. We went after the wrong Christian mom influencer. (Another heads-up that this involves discussion of miscarriage.) Finally, we think about how we'd talk to our kids if we lived in a community where our non-belief might bring discrimination. Lie altogether about our atheism? Teach them to lie? Do something else? It's so hard this even needs to be a discussion and our hearts go out to all the families in this position. Now the links (buckle up): Haminations  Tig Notaro's Drawn Special  Tig Notaro's Boyish Girl Interrupted  Tig Notaro's Hello Again  The Handsome Podcast  Good One's Tig Notaro Episode  GrowingGoodings on Instagram  EveWasFramed on Instagram  Hemant Mehta on Instagram  Donate to American Atheists!  Or volunteer!  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (10) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

We started out talking about our visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - the big feelings it created in us as parents about the hopes and dreams we have for our kids and ourselves. And what does success really mean anyway? Then I included a bit more of our interview with Betsy Deville about her book, Grief for Atheists: A Compassionate Guide with Evidence-Based Strategies to Navigate Your Loss. Pops and Betsy got into a super interesting discussion on video games in times of grief. And we finish out discussing something I've wanted to talk about for a long time: indoctrination. Just how worried do we need to be about indoctrinating our kids to be atheists?  And if you'd like to respond to Betsy's survey from our last episode and be entered to win a prize, go here: https://forms.gle/7rHqGEsGov5ppcxi7 Now to links: Betsy Deville (https://www.betsydeville.com/) Betsy Deville on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/betsydeville) Betsy's Survey (https://forms.gle/7rHqGEsGov5ppcxi7) Stardew Valley  The Article in Free Inquiry by Robert F. Allen: My Children, the Atheists  Seth Andrews on Instagram - I respond to too many of his questions with overly long answers  The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (10) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.  

Squeee! First interview in the books. We started out talking about seeing The Wild Robot with the boys. And then we spoke with Betsy Deville about her book, Grief for Atheists: A Compassionate Guide with Evidence-Based Strategies to Navigate Your Loss. Grief may not sound like a fun topic, but discussing ways to handle grief for kids and parents with an incredibly thoughtful woman was a blast. Should atheists have their own grieving ritual? How do we make a safe space for children to grieve? Does Pops read any of our social media posts?  And if you'd like to respond to Betsy's survey and be entered to win a prize, go here: https://forms.gle/7rHqGEsGov5ppcxi7 Now to links: Betsy Deville - https://www.betsydeville.com Betsy Deville on Etsy - www.etsy.com/shop/betsydeville Betsy's Survey - https://forms.gle/7rHqGEsGov5ppcxi7 Greif for Atheists - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CX22LZCZ? Creator Accountability Network  The Secular Therapy Project Dad Tired's episode, Shepherding a Grieving Child The Family Skeptical: We're a married atheist couple raising two wonderful, strange children. We ask big questions, dissect weird parenting moments, and examine how society ignores or misrepresents families like ours. If you're any stripe of non-believer who's involved in raising children, welcome! You are our people. Our kids are Reader (10) and Go (8), and if you want to find out how we arrived at these peculiar pseudonyms, go back to Episode 1. Please reach out to us at momsandpops@thefamilyskeptical.com and tell us everything we got wrong. This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of harassment, abuse, or other harm on their hotline at (617) 249-4255, or on their website at creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org. See a list of our episodes here. Follow us on Instagram @thefamilyskeptical for more weird stories that Moms can't figure out how to fit into episodes.  The Family Skeptical Cover Photo is by Jesse Valvasori Photography  Our theme music is by Jonathan Zalben and First Frame Music  Thanks for listening! If you want to support us, subscribe and tell a friend to check us out.