Tarot for babies and toddlers

I'm not sure if I am being judgemental so would love to hear other's views on this. I normally pride myself on my open mindedness so was concerned when I had a gut reaction to seeing pictures of babies and toddlers with Tarot cards.

I'm going to throw out a question or a few questions to gauge what others think and I suppose I am open minded about it at the moment as I'm wondering if my gut reaction is wrong and it's ok.

Do you think Tarot is appropriate for babies and toddlers?

I think tarot cards are like anything else. It depends on the parent, the child, and the environment you live in. I would think most "problems" happen when the child is old enough to talk without having the maturity to know who/when not to speak about the activity. They cannot defend themselves (nor should they have to) against the attitudes and beliefs of others who find it offensive or wrong.

My first gut reaction is that tarot is for everyone of any age . . . that yes, it's appropriate for babies and toddlers.

However, I also have a mental picture of a 6 month old chewing the edge of a card and drooling all over it .

Anyway . . . yeah, showing the cards to a baby or toddler, reading cards for them, telling them stories based on the pictures, etc. . . sure, I don't see a problem with it.

I know a 3 y/o who reads rather well. so - yes, it's fine.

I think Tarot cards are just pieces of paper with pictures on them, so I don't see how it's a problem for young kids to be around them. I think your opinion on this might vary on how you view the actual cards?

edit: I don't know if your gut reaction is "wrong" or "ok", it just is what it is! Why do you think you feel that way?

When my children were very young I had flashcards for them with pictures of animals and words at the bottom of the card. ie. a dog and the word was DOG. that way they learned to read. Tarot cards aren't that different, they are pictures, and sometimes they have words.

I find tarot to be very spiritual, and so why would I keep a part of my spiritual side away from my children? That being said, I did take a break (a large one) from tarot when my children were young. Not because I felt it was bad for them, but because I was working night shift and homeschooling during the day and my ex-husband was going to school in the day and working in the evenings. There just wasn't time for tarot. I was only sleeping about 3 hours a day for 4 years. When this phase passed, my children (one still very young) were around my cards and my then 9 year old got his first tarot deck (Celtic Dragon). He didn't "read" with them, but found the pictures fun to look at. He is now almost 19 and very interested in tarot and in learning more about the card meanings.

vee said:

edit: I don't know if your gut reaction is "wrong" or "ok", it just is what it is! Why do you think you feel that way?

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I'm not entirely sure why I feel this way. It was a gut reaction. I think it's partly to do with Tarot as a part of my personal spiritual journey. If my child asked me about my cards and genuinely wanted to learn then that is now part of their spiritual journey. For me, buying a baby who is too young to vocalise or even know what they want, Tarot cards is imposing my personal values onto them.

Likewise, I wouldn't ask my toddler to take part in a Beltane ritual or have them Christened. For me spirituality of which Tarot is a part, is personal and up to each individual to find for themselves.

I also believe that Tarot is a poweful tool and I would want my child to be mature enough to take on those messages (some say from the divine) and know how to incorporate them into their lives. I don't see Tarot as akin to Lego bricks. I wouldn't buy a baby a cross to suck on whilst they were teething, for me that demeans the meaning of that cross.

Again I would be wary of a child without the maturity to understand powerful messages to give readings for others. There is an ethical responsiblity that children under a certain age (please don't bombard me with examples of mature 3 year olds ) may not understand or be able to adhere to.

I'm not sure I understand. Tarot cards are a game, after all.

If someone suddenly developed some kind of personal spiritual system based on checkers, would you not allow your kids to play with that?

Also, I *do* invite my children to take part in my spiritual life. That's part of what parents do when they raise their kids. We talk about seasons, we talk about creation myths, we talk about feelings and powers that are felt but unseen. We create altars from treasures we find and we light candles and talk about people who we remember and miss. Sharing a spiritual bond is a very normal family activity, I assure you.

How does buying cards differ from buying clothes, toys, books for a small child ? As parents we introduce our children to all sorts of things, and they can accept or reject them. The imposition of values etc would only come from our trying to tell them that their distaste for something we valued was wrong.

tarotmama said:

I'm not sure I understand. Tarot cards are a game, after all.

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I wasnt' aware that people felt like that. For me Tarot cards aren't a game they are part of my spiritual development that I take seriously and have great respect for. For me Tarot cards are not a game. I'm very surprised to hear that.

If someone suddenly developed some kind of personal spiritual system based on checkers, would you not allow your kids to play with that?

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You see for me play and spiritual system don't mix. For me all spiritual systems whether I acknowledge them or not are sacred to that person or people who follow them. Again, for me Tarot cards are not akin to Lego Bricks or as you say, checkers.

Also, I *do* invite my children to take part in my spiritual life. That's part of what parents do when they raise their kids. We talk about seasons, we talk about creation myths, we talk about feelings and powers that are felt but unseen. We create altars from treasures we find and we light candles and talk about people who we remember and miss. Sharing a spiritual bond is a very normal family activity, I assure you.

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You bring your children up as you see fit as will I.