Getting upset with children who cannot sit through the meetings.

by life is to short 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  life is to short

  Justita Themis

  I totally agree with you about that children should be able to sit at different times. It makes me upset to no end to see kids running around restaurants as it is rude and it could harm the child. That is different than asking a child to sit for two hours during a boring talk. The meetings are so over the head of the young children at times. I remember hearing talks on oral sex and masturbation when I was four and five. I did not know what they were talking about just that sex was bad and what was sex anyway? Or talks about Jehovah killing everyone. Again it was per 1975 and I was freaked out that Jehovah was going to kill me and my family.

  I am just saying that what is talked about at the meeting is not age appropriate a lot of the times. It scared me as a child. And I am sure I was not alone.

  I think that teaching children about Jehovah could have been done in a lot more loving way.

  LITS
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  DaCheech

  It's a big problem with us...........

  we alternate from listening, to taking a walk, and over, and over, and over again
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  GrandmaJones

  I think it is unreasonable to expect small children to still quietly still and pretend to be listening to information that is way over their heads. You really can't compare it to school where the information is directed to them at an appropriate grade level. It's child abuse to then spank them for not behaving in the way an elder or a co wants. By the way, I think that Co is still around, or perhaps others just like him. One of my friends left the hall after witnessing such a thing. She was recently baptized, and she never came back.
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  jam

  This was years ago, the Sunday talk at the KH. A elder son around 9 yrs. old

  seated on the front row talking with his friends, his father seated in the back.

  Saw his son talking, got up walk to the front of the hall and slap the F---k out

  of his son. The speaker pause for A min. and continue with the talk.
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  mrsjones5

  It's one thing for a child to learn to sit still but it's more helpful if the child learns to sit still and pay attention for something that is age appropriate. I'm more concerned with my children sitting still, paying attention, and behaving in school especially my youngest son Joshua who has autism. Thankfully my children have never had to be subjected to sitting through 2 hours of a jw meeting.

  Which reminds me of something that happened a few years back at a church we attended by in Indiana. My family and I went to a Christmas Eve service that didn't have childcare. My youngest son (who was about 3 or 4) could not sit still nor could he be quiet. What was setting him off was the amount of people in the room. The pastor didn't turn to me and demand that I shut my kid up or leave the room. He respectfully went on with the service. When it almost got a bit too much for me and I was about to take my son out to the lobby, one of the ladies from the children's ministry who knew Joshua offered to take him to the classroom he's usually was in on Sundays.

  I was so relieved and grateful that she offered to do that for me so I could enjoy the service. Also I knew that she adored Joshua and that he was in good hands.
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  TD

  I agree with both you LITS and Justitia. As children approach school age, they do need to learn to sit still, at least for age appropriate material.

  The problem with JW's is that they often expect this of children under the age of 2. ---Sometimes even of infants who can't even talk yet. Spanking an infant for being fussy is child abuse pure and simple -IMHO.

  My (JW) wife goes absolutely apeshit over this. She would blast the ears off a C.0. if it came to that.
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  NewChapter

  Meanwhile, those same adults would have a problem with some barely kneehigh child dosing off at the meeting, or some other baby crying. I've seen hypocritical parents make their children and sometimes teenagers stand in the back as punishment

  A friend told me that her grandmother would make them stand right there at their seat if they fell asleep. They also said they caught her dozing many times but would deny it. Humiliating!
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  The Finger

  As a child I found the kingdom hall was the most dreadfully boring two plus hours ever concocted by man. The three hour assembly sessions were even worse.

  My daughter had a video which she loved to watch and wore it out watching it but like any young child she could not sit through the hour and half movie. I wouldn't consider trying to make my daughter or son still through those boring meetings. My children have done really well academically.

  I got in to trouble for not looking happy in the field service when I was 4 and we'd spent the last hour arguing with the householder. I was in short trousers and it was a cold and frosty morning. I think it is disgusting what the JW's have subjected children to over the years.
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  garyneal

  That book, The Spanking Room, was recommended reading for me when I first started attending the church I now go to regurlarly. Frankly, I was skeptical of it as it did depict the life of an individual who was raised in the 1970's. Times are different now. However, I read parallel stories on freeminds.org and begin to wonder if there is truth to it today.

  In a way, I feel bad for the fact that my wife feels like she can't compete with the church I attend. They sing and dance, let kids wave flags and occasionally run around during the praise and worship songs. The Sunday school is more age appropriate and they do games as well as small group sessions. There are far more kids there than at my wife's hall and the church has a small playground outside.
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  snakeface

  I don't have children, so anywhere I go, whether meetings or restaurants, crying babies and fidgeting children are a distraction. But I have to learn to share the planet with them. I am the one who has to adapt to the situation and cope with it, not them.

  Doesn't the Bible say, "Continue putting up with one another..."?

  I have heard parents say in their comments that if the child can sit thru a 2-hour Disney movie they should be able to sit thru a one hour meeting. I tell them if they (THE PARENTS) can sit thru a one hour meeting they should be able to sit thru a one hour opera or sit in the doctor's waiting room for an hour and not complain about it.