Children not raised as JWs - an 'out of the mouths of Babe's moment

by skeeter1 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  skeeter1

  I have a 10 year old. Been to the KH once, at about 3 years old, for a relative's funeral.

  Lately, my 10 year old and her BFF are talking on the phone alot. Right now, they are talking. I am listening. They aren't teenaged girls yet, so the doors are still opened. For the past two nights, they are thinking about starting a charity. Tonight, they figured out their mission - to teach other kids about responsible pet ownership. From deciding to buy a dog, to picking the right dog for your family,to training a dog so it doesn't become a beast, nuetering . .. the whole nine yards. They want to spend Saturday going through their plans. Right now, they are coming up with a name & slogan for their cause.

  Here's the difference. I NEVER did any of that as a JW kid. I wasn't committed to trying to make a difference; or even thinking of the footprint I would leave behind. It was all Jehovah's resposibility, and He was soon going to take care of everything. I spoke with a friend who is in education; and she told me that kids go through this stage where they think of the world around them and the future. All of these "plans" they make (and they are detailed too) are part of their mental development.

  See the difference between a JW chid and a worldly kid. Glad I have a "worldy" kid. I figured out just one more way I was cheated by being a JW

  Skeeter
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  jamiebowers

  What a sweetie your daughter is!
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  Aussie Oz

  Nurture kids like that and we have a brighter future

  oz
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  Found Sheep

  Aww I love to hear that
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  wobble

  What a joy your lovely daughter must be to you ! You can see a caring compassionate character forming in her already, boy do theu grow up quick !

  We as JW's were, as you say, not encouraged to grow up and take responsibility for making the world a better place.

  Give your daughter a hug from all on JWN !
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  QuestioningEverything

  Thank you for sharing that with us! It's a wonderful thing to watch our kids grow outside of the JW influence. Your daughter sounds like she has a bright future.
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  Morbidzbaby

  That's so sweet! And so true...those of us born-in were discouraged from taking up a cause...because Jehovah was going to take care of it all "soon".

  There was a sister I knew years ago who would donate to different causes...when the elders got wind of this, she was counselled to put her money into "Theocratic" things, not "the things of The World" because Jehovah would fix it.

  She tapered off going to meetings after that...
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  d

  Children are innocent and idealistic but you lose that as a witness
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  sd-7

  Interesting. You know, I think, maybe it didn't occur to me on any conscious level at that age, the age of 10, about making the world a better place and all. But certainly once I was in my teens, I started to think a lot more about our world and how we can fix it now. I think Jesus' example taught me that helping others in a practical way was important, too. So I still felt there was something I could do, even if I had no set plans for how to do it.

  --sd-7
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  PaintedToeNail

  I remember feeling guilty for donating to the NRDC-because they are lobbyists for the enviroment, I believe in their cause, yet, felt like I was rejecting Jah. As a child, when watching those awful animal shows with my parents...you know the ones, "the last living dodo bird has just been captured, we will slaughter it, then dissect the body for posterity"...I always was heart broken and wanted to do something. Of course, the standard answer was, wait for it...wait for it..."Only Jehovah can fix everything'.

  skeeter1-congrats on having such a caring child, and congrats on letting her live a full life.

  CJ