On Rational Parenting and Raising Critical Thinkers

Skepdad (originally The SkepDad Blog) was started as one man’s thoughts, opinions, and ideas about bringing up kids to be critical thinking adults in a world filled with superstition, mysticism, and pseudoscience. The emphasis here is on opinions and ideas. My credentials and my motivation follow, and I wouldn’t expect you to accept this information blindly. But even more so, this is an open dialog. You can agree or disagree because I am seeking advice as much as (and maybe more than) I am giving it. I write articles on things I’ve thought about or tried. I will explore practical examples from my kids, my friend’s kids, and my own childhood. I will share, and readers should share back.

I may not be the most experienced father, but who is? Many of us stumble through the job and wonder if we’re doing things right or wrong. Are we ruining our kids? I honestly don’t think there is a correct answer to raising children. In each parent’s eyes they are both the best and the worst, and everyone else is doing something absolutely right and absolutely wrong. I don’t expect to change many minds; You can bring kids up however you see fit. But all the same this blog will continue to be a dialog on raising kids to be critical thinkers, members of society who bring society forward through questioning their parents and their parent’s values. Is this a good thing? Of course; If we were wrong then they will uncover something better. If we were right, they will likely find the same conclusions. Do I need to be an experienced father to do that? Do you? It may help, but using the right tools to allow our kids to be their own people can help, too.

I hope to explore what those tools are, how to use them, and what kind of results to expect. It’s going to be a journey. I expect feedback. I expect resistance. I expect I am not alone in asking these questions. And like any good skeptic, it is often more about asking the right questions than giving the right answers. That is all this can ever be. Take it for what it is. Share and enjoy.

Who am I?

I am a father. I’m raising my (very young) child to be someone who respects the ideas of others but doesn’t accept those ideas blindly. As an adult, she will need to judge the merit of the beliefs in her society, interacting in a personal and professional capacity, and to build solid, meaningful relationships with those around her. I have tried to do this myself, and I hope to be a good role model.

I am a scientist. After four years of study I received my Bachelors of Science in molecular genetics from the University of Alberta. I chose not to pursue a research career in favor of other opportunities. But my training as a scientist has stuck to me and is conveyed in much of what I do. My scientific background allows me access to a wealth of technical knowledge and also a repertoire of tools that encourage both logical thought and critical analysis.

I am an educator. Two and a half more years at University earned me a Bachelors of Education degree. I taught briefly in the public school system, but left quickly to pursue work in the field of public awareness and community education with not-for-profit organizations, taking science and making it accessible to the public. After nearly a decade of writing, designing, and communicating scientific ideas to a layman audience, I now want to teach my offspring those skills so that they can build and expand on them and go on to seek their own role in our world.