Being an adult, I choose not to attend the meetings. I would prefer my children not attend meetings, however being married to a diehard JW, this is difficult to accomplish. The kids do NOT want to attend, as the meetings are boring, as they have often said. I of course agree with them, the meetings are indeed boring. Last night, their father made them listen to him read them the Watchtower study for today, I had gone to bed really early and didn't realise this was happening. Getting up after having some nightmares, I walked down the hall to my middle child's room, this child shall be refered to as "M". "M" told me about the Watchtower reading and that it was unintelligable to him/her. He/she told me that he/she didn't want to go to the meeting either, and that he/she would rather have a spanking than go. I expressed my unhappiness that he/she would be forced to attend by the father.
Whilst up in the middle of the night, I read blondies overview of today's Watchtower Study, and how we are 37 years into the 1000 year reign, according to WT publications. This info was filed away in the old brain.
This am, my youngest child, "Y", came to me to tell me he/she was feeling sick. This child had just come out of the shower and was dripping wet, it is cold outside here too, so I decided to tell hubby that "Y" is sick and not going to the meeting. "Y" does have head congestion right now too, so this wasn't a lie on my part. Hubby proceeded to order "Y" into bed and demand that he/she stay there, as he/she is sick. "Y" started crying and howling.
"M" decided to try and hide from his/her father so he/she wouldn't have to go to the meeting either. Father hunted all over for "M", and finally directly asked me where "M" was. Not wanting to lie outright, I did tell him, but offered what he/she told me the night before, that "M" would rather have a spanking than go to the meeting. Father removed "M" from the hiding place and went to spank "M" in lieu of meeting attendance. "M" changed his/her mind and decided to go to the meeting instead of the spanking.
Father disappeared for a few minutes, my oldest child, "O" here, was sitting in the livingroom with "M" and myself. "M" commented again that he/she didn't want to go the meeting and be forced to sit through yet another Watchtower study. I commented that the thousand year reign was already 37 years into it's time period, and therefore, only 963 years of it were left, according to Watchtower literature. "M" said, 'why doesn't the end come?', they have been saying it for thousands of years that it was going to come.' Father came into the room, so nothing more could be said.
He rounded up "O" and "M" and went to leave. "O" commented to me that Dad had ordered "Y" to stay in bed. I told "O" that the next time Dad is sick, I shall tell him he has to stay in bed all day.
"Y" continued to cry. They left. As soon as I saw the car drive down the road, I told "Y" he/she could get out of bed and do whatever they wanted.
The good thing out of all this nastiness is: Dad is being forced to play the bad cop and reinforces that meetings are a drudge. The kids won't forget they were really forced to go.
I wait now for them to come home. "M" will tell me how awful the meeting was, and I will truthfully agree. "M" feels free to tell me how he/she feels about things and won't say these things to dad.