Dear Gefilte: How Do I Talk About God with My Kid When My Husband Is Atheist?

Dear Gefilte is Kveller's advice column
Dear Gefilte,

I grew up Modern Orthodox and have been through various stages of religiosity. I no longer practice, except to celebrate some traditions like holidays and cultural events. I married a secular atheist, though, who celebrates the same cultural Jewish milestones I do, but he is vehemently opposed to anything religious, especially the idea of God. I have never given up on the idea of God, or perhaps a benevolent being or “the universe” or something amorphous beyond our rationalist minds.

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Jewish Education in Early Childhood

The long-term value of early exposure to all things Jewish

By Caron Blau Rothstein for MyJewishLearning.com

Parents want the best for their children right from the start. Even while we are still pregnant, we are already seeking out the best pediatrician, the best hospital for our delivery, and the best items for our baby registry. At some point along the parenthood journey, however, Jewish parents will also explore the best Jewish aspects of childbirth and parenting.
Shalom Baby

Why start so early in a child’s life with Jewish involvement? Why not wait until religious school or summer camp, when your children are older and you can discuss their experiences with them?

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From Grandmother to Granddaughter, Passing Along Religious Traditions

When parents are absent or uninterested in spirituality, a grandparent often steps in

By Clare Ansberry, WSJ

Kathy Reveille began taking her granddaughter, Bianca, to church because no one else did.

Bianca’s mother was Catholic and her father was Baptist. They couldn’t agree on what church to attend so they didn’t go. “I really wanted to belong to a church. I didn’t care what kind,” says Bianca, who is turning 15 this week. She always felt she was missing something, she says. The absence became more pronounced after her father died.

“That’s when the big questions come up,” says her grandmother, Ms. Reveille. “I stepped into the gap.”

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YouTube Kids Is Google’s First App Designed for Children

New app gives parents more control over their children's YouTube browsing.

by D. Frank Smith, EdTechMagazine
One of the world’s most powerful online educational tools just got a new, kid-friendly package.

On Monday, Google released YouTube Kids for free on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. In a blog post on YouTube, the app is billed as "the first Google product built from the ground up with little ones in mind" and one that makes browsing the video site’s massive library safe and easy for kids.

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Reclaiming the Spark

 By Tzipi Sutin for jnmagazine.com
I have a confession: Shabbos isn’t so fun for me. During the week I’m busy taking care of my toddler, cleaning and organizing the house, preparing meals, running errands and helping grow a small doula business. By the time Thursday night or Friday morning arrives, I have very little energy left to put together a 4-course meal.

I tried for a while. I would stay up very late or wake up very early and make sure the house was just perfect and that each recipe was prepared with loving tenderness and deep kavanah. My husband didn’t like to make early Shabbos so I would try to keep my daughter up for Kiddush and Hamotzi but it didn’t always work, and if it did her sleep schedule was so twisted that the next day was awful.

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To the Woman at Target Who Shamed Me & My Son

Rachel Wallenstein for Kveller

Out of the corner of my eye, as I was pushing my cart with my shrieking 3.5-year-old to our car in 86 degree heat, I saw you watching me. I promptly forgot, though, as I was hyper focused on getting my son safely in the car to calm down.

When you knocked on my window, as I was about to start driving, I hesitated because I had a feeling I knew why you were there. Still, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt; maybe you needed some help. The pamphlet on “Discipline” that you tried to give me, and then–when I declined–placed on my windshield, made me laugh heartily. Especially because after you first tried to hand it to me, I simply said, “No thanks, my son has autism and is having a meltdown–not a tantrum.” Then you said, “It still applies.”

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The Trip to Costco That Made Me Cry

Maurie Backman for Kveller.com

Last week, with my mom around to help me out at home, I decided to take advantage and drive over to Costco to stock up on some much-needed potato chips supplies. I had to time my outing perfectly so as not to leave my mother with two screaming newborns on her hands, so the moment I finished changing and feeding them, I grabbed my toddler and immediately jumped into the car. Taking my son along would undoubtedly slow things down, and I only had a short window of time before my girls would need to eat again (ah, the joys of nursing twins). But there’s a reason I chose to bring him, and in hindsight, I’m thankful I did.

My 3-year-old loves Costco–as in, he’d pass up a trip to Toys R Us any day of the week for a chance to walk those massive warehouse aisles, taking in his surroundings while sampling freebies. Now as anyone who frequents Costco knows, weekday food distribution can be very hit or miss. Sometimes they’ll have so many food samples on hand it’s enough to skip your next meal; but other times, you’ll be lucky to snag a shot-sized cup of Vitamin Water in the very back corner.

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