Are JW kids allowed to be kids?

tall penguin

I had a memory come up today. I recall there was a time when kids were allowed to read the subheadings at the Watchtower study. They cut that out because they wanted kids to participate in the same way as the adults, by answering the questions for the paragraphs.

And I recall when they used to have a special kids version of the written review where it was geared to stuff from "My Book of Bible Stories". Again, they phased that out, not wanting the kids to have any special treatment.

And then there's the obvious non-separation of kids and adults at the hall. Other religions have special classes for kids. Not the JWs. JW kids have to learn at the same level as the adults and listen to adult topics.

Not to mention that kids can be subject to a judicial committee and be held accountable for very normal kid things. But they're tried as adults, and some are shunned as well. Kids are expected to behave like adults. There's a lot of pressure on JW kids.

I never felt like I was allowed to be a kid as a JW. I always felt like I had to be a mini-adult. Did you feel that way?

tall penguin

daystar

I agree to a certain extent. My mother used to call me "old man", I was so serious most of the time. Gee, I wonder where I got that...

But we never had any of the perks you mentioned such as the review geared towards the "My Book of Bible Stories". So, I think you guys were lucky.

Junction-Guy

I agree 100%.

fullofdoubtnow

The kids in the hall I went to were treated more like young adults than children, they hardly had a childhood at all. From the age of 8 or 9, the pressure to get baptised, a supposedly adult decision, was exerted on them. No wonder so many of them hated the meetings.

vitty

My sister told she was drawing a picture of a butterfly.............shes a grandmother............for the CO meeting. When I asked her why she was doing it , she said the CO didnt think it was right that the children were separated and brought onto the the platform He wanted all the congregation to draw a picture. I told her he needed to see a psychiatrist..........she wastnt impressed

monkeyshine

Not to mention the fact that they would have us preaching on the platform (I was 5 yeas old my first talk) and from door to door telling adults how to live, treating them as stupid because they didn't want "the truth".

Been there

No! They are treated like adults when they are kids, and threated like kids when they are adults.

Tyrone van leyen

In life a kid must be able to explore different things and feel a sense of protection in doing so. This is all a part of self discovery and identity and enables dreams and motivation. A parents job is to guide there kid in the path of there own chosing not driving an agenda down there throats. Also a parent must be able to have there hand on the pulse of there child, not by being invasive, but by being sensitive to how they feel by putting themselves in there shoes. ie asking yourself how would I feel among my peers if I was in grade one and had to walk out of a classroom, or how would I feel, if on valentines day I got no cards from anyone, and how would I feel being left out of numerous activities and veiwed as a social misfit etc. When gut instinct is removed from parenting you have lost touch with reality. When parenting is more punitive than love based you have lost touch. Growing up with the idea of the world ending and constantly obsessed with death is not condusive to allowing a child to dream either. Not in any way are kids allowed to be kids in this bullshit religion. They are groomed to be zombies that sell magazines for a faceless corporation with all the mental controls of a cult. Even the teen years are worse with sanctions and no mercy or understanding. It's like growing up and seeing everbody allowed to do whatever they want with no repercussions and you can't." When you steal someones dreams you have murdered there souls." Blaise Pascal. I never even got to have a dream. Indeed one would be further ahead to grow up with no discipline and be in touch with that deep place in your soul.

truthsearcher

Ty, your post is written from your heart. I feel sad for all those little ones having their dreams and spark of life snuffed out by this cult, and for those of you as adults who feel that so much time has been wasted...

TS

Junction-Guy

Tyrone, your reply sounds just like me. They robbed me of my dreams, and now I dont even know how to dream anymore. How does someone become ambititous and positive thinking when all through their childhood they always were chastized for it? I started out having lots of dreams and ideas when I was young, by the time high school came around I had lost all hope and was only hoping to survive Armageddon which was supposed to be "just around the corner"

Are JW kids allowed to be kids?

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