Were You The World's Worst Parent?

by freyd 13 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  mrsjones5

  So I lead the little one back to bed and sternly tell her, "All right, xxx, your job is to close your eyes and dream. Your job is to dream about the visit you had with your grandma and poppa. Your job is to dream about all the things you want to be when you grow up. Do you want to be a dancer? Dream about that. Do you want to be a gymnast? Your job is to dream about that. Do you want to be a doctor (oh please, oh please)? Your job is to dream about that...." I must have rambled on and on. When I got done, she looked at me and said, "Can't my job just be to go to sleep?"

  Not the worst parent in the world, but I'm getting there.

  That was just precious
• 

  Sunspot

  Being the first JW in my entire family....I had to fight extra hard to BE the good JW parent according to the book of Watchtower. I made SO MANY unfair demands on them BECAUSE OF the WTS teachings and robbed them (and mysef) of enjoying them as much as I should have. I was so doggone busy trying to toe the WTS mark and trying to show OTHERS how great a JW parent I could be, that I lost sight of most of the great things that ALLOW a child have a happy childhood.

  I truly, truly regret this.....and by NOW it is too late to fix. Almost all my kids are in their 40's and all but two have the bad times cemented into their hearts forever. One remains a staunch JW and the other two I mentioned are bitter and cannot get over "how awful they were raised". Sadly, it colors their lives and defines who they are.

  I am not saying I would have been THE perfect mother if I had NOT been a JW, but the mistakes I most likely would have made, would have been the "normal" variety that most parents DO make, and time would have solved these difficulties.

  Thank you Watchtower.
• 

  stillajwexelder

  Perhaps not the worst - but spent far too much time on JW matters and not nearly enough on them. I truly regret it now
• 

  worldtraveller

  My parents were the worst, although my mom still loved me. Imagine my dad turning our home into a house of ill repute? Took me many years to find out, but it made me sick to my stomach when I put 2 and 2 together. They taught me how not to behave, and my kids are doing fine. I forgave my mom-can't say the same for my dad, though.