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Does anyone know whether prayer is sanctioned in secular preschools or daycares within North Carolina? Our son is almost 3 and attends a daycare not sponsored by a religious institution. He's recently begun singing a sort of prayer before meal times at home. He's apparently learned it from his teachers. They fold hands and pray before lunch. This was a surprise, as we were never told that the children would be led in prayer.
We're not religious and prefer to be the ones to guide our son's faith. I plan on speaking with the owners, but would prefer know whether the teacher's behavior is permitted by the state before our conversation.
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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If it's a private daycare/preschool, they can pray however they want, to whomever they want. If you knew that you didn't want prayer, you probably should have asked about it before you signed up your child. My kids went to a secular, private preschool (in Virginia) and they always said a prayer before lunch. I don't think it's that uncommon.
if you knew that you didn't want prayer, you probably should have asked about it before you signed up your child
It wasn't something we'd anticipated. To us, religious rituals should be more of an "opt in" sort of practice. If you want your child to pray at school, send them to a parochial daycare.
He probably does. He's (almost) 3. He likes just about anything that involves his daycare friends - games, songs, playing. He likes jellybeans. He likes chewing on the tail of a plastic dinosaur toy. He likes plenty of things that we, as his parents, choose to discourage or embrace.
The point here is that we are responsible for guiding his spiritual development. Not his teachers.
My first thought. Why not let the child have diverse experiences and discuss these with him? If he decides he does not want to be a part of it, speak to the school letting them know he will just step to the side at that time. Just be polite about it. However, he may decide that "he" likes it and then he can just proceed forward. Might as well expose the child to the knowledge of all kinds of religion and discuss them in an open minded way. That way he can make an informed decision. One which is right for him, whether it be a particular religion or the lack thereof. I speak from the no "religion" club.
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