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Everything ofcourse depends on the sort of pseudo-science and the amount of it your child is exposed to. If it is something that bothers you and keeps coming back. I would definitely talk about this with the teacher, the principal, etc. But when it's really part of the curriculum, it gets political fast and there probably isn't a lot you can change about it ...

Probably the best guides to this topic come from the National Center for Science Education. In brief, the best approach seems to be to first contact the teacher (in writing) and ask about any materials presented in class that had to do with the pseudoscience. Do not engage them in any kind of debate, just ask (nicely) what they presented and whether you can ...

How to disagree and still come to an amicable resolution (aka Negotiating for Parents 101) Péter Török makes good points about each parent explaining the impact of certain decisions on the family. I am going to elaborate on Swati's note to pick your battles. In our house, when things become contentious, there are usually three types of dispositions on an ...

I'm not sure you do have to tell them, at least not now. What seems to be the urgent issue is this job. If you really think you can't stand doing it for a little while (I assume it's temporary?), which may look good on your CV (resumé), then you have to break it to them seriously but gently. I would suggest avoiding the theological issue if possible. These ...

I was raised in a situation where there was no follow-up after one of my parent lost their temper. Because of this, I was never taught to apologize for losing mine. This is a very hard thing to learn when you're older... When I lose my cool towards my 2yo son, I try to apologize and explain (not justify) my response. When he loses his cool, I ask him to do ...

So far, with my 3.5 year old, I've attempted to complete that apology with an explanation of why I lost my temper with him. Like "when I tell you not to play with that, it's because I don't want you to get hurt, it's a very dangerous tool. When you repeatedly ignore me and play with it anyway, it hurts daddy's feelings that you're not listening to me trying ...

Actually, yes. It is possible he is purposefully riling you up. Not, perhaps for any specific reason he is consciously aware of. It is also possible that he simply gets distracted and doesn't know how to cope with your anger and unwittingly makes you more angry with his reactions. If he is purposefully riling you, he may do it because (even if he does ...

I agree with both Beofett and Morah, but I will add this: Is your wife a Stay-At-Home Mother? I currently am (not necessarily by choice) and when my husband travels for work it drives me up the walls. Typically, he's gone for an entire week--not just a few hours during the day. Things are better now that our kids are in daycare a few days a week, but ...

Parents have a hard time when there adult children have a different way of life then they have. Often parents feel it a rejection of their parenting. This being said, you asked about how to discuss it with them. Using the word 'rejection' worries me. I assume you still respect Christianity as a way of life, you just don't choose to embrace it for your own ...

This isn't really a parenting question, but it's close enough and you could use some advice. You are stuck, however the reason is not ideological, but financial. Your main concern seems to be that your family will withdraw financial support, so that's what you need to tackle. Work to become financially independent by getting a job which is not dependent on ...

The two main virtues of a parent of a young child, are patience and consistency. It's good to have simple rules your child can understand and be (very) consistent about them. If it does not behave there should be a consistent consequence to this behaviour. You should realise that it is good to explain why your child can not do something or should do ...

Let me chime in from the male side :-) My wife and I too have disagreements over various topics of child rearing. One of them actually is bedtime. I am more lenient on this, she is more watching the clock. We had numerous discussions over this, where we both presented our case and tried to understand the other's points. Part of this is cultural (I am ...

Here's one blog where a parent discusses his child's dissatisfaction with a teacher's approach to science lessons, and how he (the parent) dealt with that. http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/blog/?p=4504 (I got that link from this answer: How do you handle a teacher that teaches pseudo science? ) It's not a great fit, because the teacher was in the wrong ...

I personally wouldn't tell my daughter I'm sorry I raised my voice at her, because I'm not. I would disagree with your contention "we all know its terrible to raise your voice at kids." Sometimes you hurt your kids' feelings. I don't feel bad about it. My parents raised me with (what I see in hindsight to be) a healthy balance of a wide variety of ...

I agree with Morah - don't tell them that you reject Christianity. It is OK to not be convinced that the faith is not for you - and if you phrase it correctly, your parents will not argue with you, rather succumb to just praying (more) for you. You have to be comfortable with the fact that your parents genuinely want you to be a Christian. So you must ...

I think BalancedMama's answer has some excellent depth to it, and some guidance on what you can do for yourself. A very simplified view, and the one I take, is that children need to continually understand where their boundaries are. They are growing and learning and sometimes their boundary checking looks like deliberate antagonism. Help make it very easy ...

The key thing to think about as you prepare for your discussion is respect. You respect your parents and the way you were raised. You respect and honor their decisions in faith. You respect that they will disagree with your decision to step away from their religion. I imagine your goal here is to agree to disagree. One thing I would consider here: ...

Let's be clear: ideological freedom is a basic human right, and your right to believe something is not affected by whether you are financially dependent on another person. The support your parents provide is a gift that they can withdraw at any time for any reason. If your parents are providing you support because they believe you believe something you ...

I can almost agree with Torben's answer, but I think his conclusion is a little too gentle to the point of placing an additional burden on you. DVK's comments have the right attitude, but are a bit too passive for what you're describing. When the topic comes up, I recommend calmly explaining exactly what you believe and don't believe. I don't think dancing ...

It would be fair of you to let your parents know. They care about you, and it would be unkind to deliberately continue deceiving them. However, what and how you tell them is probably very important for a good outcome. Before you do anything, you need to decide what outcome you want. What's most important to you? That your parents respect you afterwards? ...

Encourage your wife to do the same. My husband and I do plan friend activities as well as we have meetings for volunteer work. We keep the same calendar (Google) so we can see each others activities, we know what is coming, and we don't conflict. Try to have couple friends that you both like, or at least can tolerate. Remember, to be a good parent you ...

It's understandable that the situation frustrates you, especially when it's rubbed in by external events like the dance/bowling events you mention. One thought I have about this is that in many situations, you really are in the father role, so it should not matter if you're the actual father or not: In the case of those school events, there's no direct ...

I highly recommend the book Brain Rules for Baby. The author stresses empathy and labeling emotions: try to understand the child's feelings and tell them. For example, saying "I understand that you want to play with the toy and you don't want your brother to play with it. You are jealous." +1 for positive reinforcement. If you don't want them to do ...

Bravo to you for incorporating friends into you life! Now, make sure your wife does the same! I've worked out a deal with my husband that one time per week my husband has the freedom to do whatever he wants for the day, hook up with his friend, workout for hours, whatever he wants! I noticed I started to get resentful...I'm with the kids all the time ...

There aren't enough details to give an accurate assessment. A general rule of thumb is to give as much as you take. If you have a full day away your wife should get the same. I often have to push my partner out of the door. Once she is out she really enjoys her self. This balance stops any build up of resentment. Kids are lovely.. they are.. but you don't ...

That's a tough situation. To address the parenting portion of your question, I see absolutely no problem with spending a day, or even possibly more, away from your family without negatively impacting your son, provided that it is not a regular occurrence. Many people are required to travel on occasion, whether for work or family emergencies. Its a fact ...

I've rejected religion but never had a compelling reason to overtly bring it up with my parents. I'm sure they've sort of figured it out by now in passing conversations, but religion, or a lack thereof, I believe, is a personal thing and unless other people ASK for your viewpoint on it, I see no reason to share it. So if you don't mind the traditional part ...

It is absolutely key that parents stand firm together. If mummy says it then daddy says it too, and vice versa. Mummy and daddy think the same thing. Kids are clever. If there's a crack, they'll exploit it to their advantage. Getting this right involves a lot of communication and listening, with each side putting their own ideas and listening quietly and ...

Seriously, read the book Counseling The Culturally Diverse (it blatantly puts out there the mass racial and socio-economical discrimination that still occurs today in very subtle and slick ways). Teachers, counselors, ect. seem to try to act like the problem is in the child, when that's not always the case, and finally, its documented! Amen! The book is ...