Auntie,
I can sure understand your concern for your neice. Children...they suffer so much at the hands of "well intended" parents sometimes. UGH.
One of the most heartbreaking stories about my brother was when he was about 5? Very young. My mom held a book study with a gal who's husband was prone to seizure. Anyhow one particular night after returning home from this ladies house; my mom had taken my brother with her, all hell broke loose because the rumor got started that the husband was demonized - thus those pesky demons must be rampant in the house.
My brother (this still pisses me off when I think back) was so frightened of dying because he had eaten a carrot at the home earlier. Hell, even the elder's were called into this mess, and I also remember my mom got little sleep that night because of her fear, too.
Here we have a young, impressionable child that is already so afraid because of the adult bullshit!!!
OH, one night my older sibling came to my home at 2 a.m., convinced the demons had just been running across her bed and ran out through the window. She has always been a sensative, but because she is a fence-rider, refusing to let go of the JW thing, she has sadly become extremely neurotic over the years. We had opportunity after 8 years to rekindle our relationship, but it wasn't going to work out because I wasn't going to play the JW game with her. Heck, she was the reason I began searching for information and found these sites for former JW's.
Although I've had no contact with my brother for years, I was told he hates the JW's...gee, wonder why.
It took years before I was able to sleep with no lights on in the house somewhere. And although my granddaugher has never been subjected to JW's, I work with her on the same fear because it's unfounded, but children are vulnerable and it's up to the adults to help eliminate such fear; not feed and nourish such unbalance. But then again, we're talking about some of the most unbalanced humans running amuck. Jehovah Witnesses...yeah, they can all kiss my arse!!!
Granny