by Nosferatu 34 Replies latest social family
This has been on my mind lately. I'll probably end up having kids in the near future, and I would NOT want my mother preaching to my children.
So, I must ask, how do you handle your JW relatives who try to preach to your children? How do you deal with a "gift" like My Book of BS?
gift" like My Book of BS
And we all know what BS stands for.
Its pretty hard Nos, really. My mother does it all the time, and I just have to counter what she says, one thing at a time. I think that is the best way, incident by incident. Like she told my six year old (think he was 5 at the time) that they dont celebrate birthdays because God doesnt like it. So he was not upset, but very curious about why we did celebrate if God didnt like it. I told him, Grandma and Grandma are a different religion than we are, that is what their religion teaches, but that is not what we believe. Its ok to celebrate birthdays and have fun. he was ok with it. I have more stories like that one, I just have to handle them one incident at a time. I am not a point right now where I can truly tell my parents how I feel about the witnesses, so I cant ask them not to preach to my kids. Spoused though, can definately put a different spin on this. So far, I think out of respect for me, my husband has not asked her not to preach to our kids, but he definately gets very ticked off at her when she does it. Good luck with the future baby planning!
I don?t think you can avoid it Nos. My children have both sets of Grand parents still in. The Grand mothers are defiantly more preachy then the Grand fathers. My children have been exposed to the ?Truth? and now the outside, because both parents (My ex and me) have since left. My youngest was two when we both left, so he has much less indoctrination.
Actually my kids take it very well. I allow them (they are older, pre teen through almost grown) to accept books or not, go to meetings or not etc. I think giving them the choice, is better then force feeding something. I also told my kids that there Grand parents are a different religion, and try (note try) to subtly tell them not to ?say? certain things around them, that would cause a preaching session. I try to deal honestly with my kids when questions come up, like why doesn?t Grandma celebrate Christmas etc. Basically I try to respect their (grand parents) choices, and hope they respect mine. I also instill in my children that people have diverse religions and cultures (my family is full of it) and try to help them explore the differences with the respect that not everyone believes the same thing.
So far it has worked.
A lot has to do with who your parents are to begin with. I think, also keeping the hate I have for this religion to myself and not allowing it to cloud the relationship I have with my parents or my kid?s other grand parents helps keep things on the straight and narrow.
Jahna
I no longer allow my son to spend time alone or any overnights with G&G. My son's father FLIPPED when our child came home and said that Santa was demonized and that God hates people who celebrate birthday's. Also told my son that Santa and the Easter Bunny were not real. My ex is not a JW and can't stand religion in general. I had to explain to my son that G was a different religion and that she was wrong and that he should not repeat this. My son was only 6 at the time so you do the math. He was upset. He no longer is allowed with her because she won't stop.
I WOULD NEVER ALLOW ANY JW TO INTER ACT WITH ANY OF MY CHILDREN. THEY ARE FREAKS WITH WITH EXTREMLY DESTRUCTIVE AND DANGEROUS BELIEFS.
I WOULD NOT WANT MY SON OR DAUGHTER POISENED BY THEIR HATRED AND LIES!!!
Isnt this what old people do. My Gs preach to us about JWism and we are all JWs. Did you read this watchtower or that awake or what did todays text say about that.
I think it is best to teach your child people believe different things rather than JWs are harmful. I mean in 60 years your kids could be on the Governing Body.
My parents are still JW's. My sister's kids are old enough now that they understand the concept of people having their own beliefs. My parents take the girls to meetings when they are visiting, but have a sort of truce with my sister not to try to sway their beliefs. One of my nieces, the 8 year old, decided a few years ago that she didn't believe in God. Both of them are very independent and know that they have the right to choose their own system of beliefs.
My $.02
Nos
My daughter has to deal with this. Her father is still an active JW. She no longer allows him to preach to her or leave lit with her.
As for her children. They are never left alone with him. He never babysits and when he does visit my daughter is always there. She has set the boundary. If he wants to see the grandchildren he has to follow the rules. And he knows she means it. There was a time before she had children when she barely spoke to him for a few years. She would not hesitate to do it again and he knows it.
And I have never seen any of the books for JW kids among my granddaughter's book collection. If he has given any in the past my daughtert has gotten rid of them.
Actually last spring when I was there I was talking to my grandaughter (who was having her first communion) about religion and she asked why her grandfather didn't come. I told her he belonged to a religion that didn't allow him to go in other churches. She shrugged and said Oh and that was it. She doesn't have a clue about what JWs are or that her mother was raised as one.
I think my daughter is doing a great job
I am not trying to stir anything up, but from here sounds like you guys are treating the JWs how they treat other people. No JW books, No JW meetings, no hanging around JWs unsupervised. Replace JW with the word worldly and you see the resymblance.
I am no critizing but why would the watchtower make guidelines to protect JWs from "bad association" that are the same rules Non JW family have developed on their own to keep their kids sane? Is this the nature of the beast thought quarantine inside and outside (btw I am not talking about shunning)?
It's easy,
Children do not readily accept JW beliefs, -- True converts are unhappy adults by and large.
Just teach your children to think critically, to demand extraordinary proof for extraordinary claims and to politely reject BS out of hand and you'll save them a whole lot of grief from unsavory characters of all types ---Not just the JW's
