How many were raised as a JW during their teenage years?

codeblue

And how many of you feel because of that, you never really got to be a "teenager"?

Codeblue

blondie

In my case, it wouldn't have made a difference. My mother was a JW but my non-JW father was my abuser. I wouldn't have had a normal teenage life no matter what.

Blondie

Corvin

I was raised in the org, that's for sure. To top it off my family came from a southern fundamentalist religion in the first place. My AUNT was a penecostal minister with her very own church.

I did miss out on many things a normal teenager does, but I am only 37, and all my kids are now teenagers and I get to, to some extent, live vicariously through them. I can really connect with them on many levels and I give them many of the freedoms I never had. They are lots more happier than I was as a teen, and gee, they are not on drugs or stealing or pregnant or whatever the Society said they would be if they were not good little dubs. They be chillin in the pad wid dad and we co-moonicate and laugh alots. yo, peach-out y'all. (gone break dancing)

Corvin

ohiocowboy

Yes, I was raised from age 6, and spent my teen years+ in the org. It has been great the past several years to finally be able to catch up on what I missed-Lots of Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll! (Well, maybe not as much the "Drugs" part)-LOL

Sassy

I was raised in it.. so yes I feel like I missed out a lot especially in my teen years. I missed fitting in (although ironically both the wild kids.. and the 'in' kids still liked me).. but I still didn't get to do anything with anyone.. no dances.. no dates.. no birthday parties.. two of my high school friends who weren't JWs.. wanted me to be in their weddings.. of course I couldn't..

I think that is why I guess I got a little wild when I finally fell of the track so to speak...

I was oppressed tooo long

undercover

I was. I feel like I missed out on being a normal teenager. Not just because of missing some holidays. It was so much more. It's hard to put in words and I think only JWs or people from similar backgrounds can really understand it.

I learned to like being alone. I had JW friends, but you only saw them at the halls and some weekends. All my classmates had busy lives in school, after school, school friends, school activities, etc. I went to school, went home, did homework, studied for the meeting, went to the meetings. TV and books were my escape. Even that was subject to censorship from the parental and elder units. Weekends brought field service and then some social activity with JW friends. I never learned social skills, because I wasn't allowed to attend any social functions outside of JW sponsered events. And those were tightly controlled.

I see teens today and they seem so much mature than I was at their age. I look back at my teen years and I realize that my mental growth was actually stunted by the JW program that my parents so heartily subscribed to. I probably didn't hit my stride unitl my late 30s, when I had realized that being a JW was no longer something that I wished to be. Once I was free from that I started to enjoy so many things that I missed out on as a youth and young adult. Better late than never though.

onacruse

((blondie))

Myself: born and raised JW..teenage years are long gone...so be it, and life goes on, as I choose.

Craig

Nosferatu

(raises hand)

Even though I was in the troof during my teen years, I tried to sneak as much as I could. I wish I could have done more though.

Odrade

yeah, me too. Now I'm 33 and I'm just now learning social interaction that I should have leraned as a tenageer. sucks. plus all the other crap, and then people are nice to mea nd I get all suspicious like what do they wwant? then I realize they are just being nice because and I have a meltsdown. i'm so tired i just want to be a normal girl.

shotgun

It does not really bother me that I missed out on sports, dances, sex or getting a higher education.... BS it bothers me but I'm getting over it...slowly.

How many were raised as a JW during their teenage years?

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