Shocked at what my 3 year old just asked me

by jwfacts 53 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  ziddina

  "I now know that the mother in law is trying to indoctrinate him. I am not sure if I should mind too much..."

  Yes. Mind. VERY MUCH.

  You're working with a slight handicap, as your son is so very young, he cannot 'filter' out false information at this time. However, if there is ANYTHING you can do to prevent cult indoctrination, please DO IT.

  You don't want to hear, "Dad, I'm not going to college; I'm going to pioneer instead!! Oh, and by the way - I can't talk to you anymore..."

  Best results to you...

  Zid
• 

  somebody

  jwfacts,

  Children are SO smart and thier small brains can take in more information that adult brains can ..and that's a FACT!

  The first 10 years of their lives are the most important.

  If you haven't read Wolves Among Sheep by James Kostelniuk yet, them please read it. I only suggest you read it ONLY for what CHILDREN take in from those they are around. The rest of the tragic story is just that.... Tragic! Then you and your wife may wish to have a talk with your mother-in-law about what she may talk about to your 3 year old. You may want to set boundries seeing as how your 3 yr. old spends time weekly with an adult JW. It's a tough situation and could get worse as the years pass by...and they pass by quickly! :-)

  peace,

  gwen
• 

  jookbeard

  they are such cheeky bastards aren't they? the underhandedness of it all is mind blowing, your MIL would not be having these discussions with adult members of jwfacts and his immediate family would she? I'd be having strong words with the MIL and explain to her that my sons interests in Biblical matters are very well taken care of at home thank you.
• 

  jamiebowers

  I think you are being more concerned about the feelings of believers than about your sons well being.

  Wobble, I completely agree. Grandma needs a dressing down. I would never leave chidren alone with jws for the simple fact that jws have no idea with whom they associate. Child molesters are protected in their midst.
• 

  Devil_Fish

  marking for later.
• 

  jwfacts

  Thank you for all the excellent comments. I will make time to see the video and read the suggested book.

  I would like to train my child to be able to distinguish false reasonings, rather than isolate him completely from it. That being said though, Witnesses pose a real threat due to the insidious, repetitious nature of their indoctrination methods. As some have suggested, it is unlikely the MIL will stop talking her beliefs, as she thinks her grandsons eternal life is at stake. It will be necessary to cut back the amount of time that he can spend alone with Witness relatives.
• 

  nugget

  There is something very worrying about what your son said. He is looking for your approval for remembering who Jehovah is. This is the start of indoctrination affection and love linked to correct response. Whatever else she is teaching your son this is not acceptable. Indoctrination in JWs starts very early. The publications for children remind them that God is all powerful and always watching and that anything we do wrong makes him sad. The elders are to be trusted as is the governing body over and above anyone else. They also tell children that pride in their achievements is boastful. I would be concerned if she was using the JW children's books with your son.

  In this instance I would be inclined to remind your son that you are happy with him for so many things and that you love him a lot. There have been many useful suggestions but what I would say is that if he is having regular contact with your mother in law then you need to be giving him the tools to resist her efforts at indoctrination. JWs have been practicing techniques for decades they know that getting into the minds of the young is extremely effective.
• 

  soft+gentle

  hi jwfacts

  tough situation and I think you are handling it wisely. I also agree with what you say about Filipino families as I have witnessed this in the congregation - they seem to raise the most wholesome JWs too! (not offence intended to others)

  When small youngesters in my family talk about jehovah I visualise sun worship because to me this what Jehovah basically represents - the sun and all of its gifts and terrifying aspects. So I can honestly and sincerely enter into an unconscious emotional dialogue with them in enjoying jehovah but keeping him in his place for myself while letting them express how they interact with this all pervading presence as indeed it is. This helps to not overreact and keep the lines of communication open.

  edit: excellent point nuggest - you posted while I was composing my post. You make a great point about giving children tools to resist indoctrination and this is also uppermost in my mind when i interact with my extended family which includes small youngesters. I haven't as yet worked out how to do it though.
• 

  InterestedOne

  What nugget noticed is what bothered me too. The mixing of love with "Jehovah." Also the looking for your approval. I agree it's important to train him to distinguish false reasonings, and I also agree that the JWs' methods are insidious. It's not only about logic. They play with a person's sense of loyalty, love, etc. For the moment, I think your decision to cut back the amount of time he spends alone with JW's is a good idea.
• 

  Wasanelder Once

  Early indoctrination is the key. She's implanting garbage in. You'll later get garbage out. I'd find a way to ward off the crap while the mind is still a blank slate. She's forming his life's opinions about God. Don't let her commit thought crime.