It’s the time of year many barely-to-nonreligious parents wonder if they’re doing wrong by their kids by leading mostly secular lives. Religion is good for kids, some say, even if they’re not entirely sure why.

Santa vs. Jesus: joking aside, is it true? Do kids need religion?

I can’t say definitively whether your kids need religion, of course, because the answer is so personal and culturally-specific. I can, however, tell you what my experience has been as a non-religious person who has chosen to make space for religion in our family life.