My mother is trying to indoctrinate my 4 year old and I do not know what to do

by jwfacts 67 Replies latest jw experiences

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  TD

  I agree with Ann and Mrs. Jones. My daughters got this to varying degrees from my wife's parents and my wife herself and it didn't affect their outcome in the least.

  The JW's have a horrible retention rate with their children for a reason: The JW belief system and its apocalyptic vision is not designed to appeal to children. It's designed to appeal to unhappy and troubled adults who have lost their way and fallen into pessimism and despair.

  Encourge your child's natural optimism. Help them to see the good in the world and not just the bad. Encourage them to get out and do volunteer and charity work as opposed to sitting on their butts and moaning about how destestable this 'system of things' is. Teach them critical thinking skills as soon as they're old enough. Make sure they go to college.

  The JW belief system won't take hold in that environment.
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  Dagney

  Ok, I have to say one thing here...I agree that I have not heard of any long term effects of finding out Santa Claus and the tooth fairy were not real.

  But there are looooong term effects from being taught growing up that Jah destroys wicked persons and will do it soon, etc. "Jah hates BD's, Xmas, etc. You don't want to make Jah angry do you?" Those words are easily said by JW's in an attempt to "save" a child, especially old school JW's. They say that stuff without thinking; rolls off their tongues effortlessly. Boundaries must be set with the manipulative JW.

  I've seen adolescent kids still afraid of armageddon years after their parents have left and moved on.

  The best defense is encouraging critical thinking in children, IMHO. That will carry them through all this crap.
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  AnnOMaly

  Hey Dagney

  I agree that if grandma is inculcating fear and paranoia into that impressionable, trusting little mind then something has to be done ("Quit it! You're giving your grandson nightmares!"). And the grandparent would have to be a real nut to tell the child of her 'disbelieving' children that God hates birthdays and Xmas and that he's making God angry. Naturally, that is a far cry from saying Jehovah made the stars and butterflies or suchlike.

  Whatever nonsense is fed the kid, the parents can neutralize. Heck, you should have heard some of the wacked-out comments our kids heard from their JW grandparents/great-grandparents sometimes! Some could be chuckled away; others needed to be challenged and countered.

  And why not ask the child (if old enough) what s/he thinks about what grandma/pa said. How did it make him/her FEEL? Work from that.

  Teaching critical thinking skills - yes, absolutely!
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  slimboyfat

  I started studying with JWs at age 13 and was baptised at 15 directly because of the occasional influence of my JW aunt. I wish my parents had stopped her indoctrinating me. Young minds are impressionable. Mine has still not recovered.
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  steve2

  One or two have suggested schooling your son on asking his grandmother questions. No. No. No. We hear of these sots of ludicrous adult-serving suggestions during marital break-ups where parents teach their young children to ask the other parent private information that the children can take back to Mom or Dad (as the casemay be).

  In any situation involving adults, it is irresponsible to put the very young child - hey we're talking 4 here not 14 - in the position of needingtoexplain things to his very own grandmother.

  Any boundary-setting dialogue needs to be between the adults.
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  biometrics

  This exact happened with my mum, and my nice and nephew (her grandchildren). However my mum was babysitting full-time for two years.

  Speaking from that experience they are now in their twenties, and it's had no long-lasting effect (i.e. they are not JWs).

  The funny thing was, when I was a child, my grandmother used to try to indocrinate me in the catholic religion and would talk against JW doctrine (mum was a JW at the time). Mum was very upset about this.
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  Joliette

  I think my parents want to indoctrinate my little six month old nephew :(
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  wasblind

  Hide the simplified Watchtower mags Joliet