Thanks for your post, and welcome to the bright side!
Wish I had been as smart and lucky as you are with regards to the wife, you did that in very excellent way. Making here research to prove you wrong
As for your kids, here are some thoughts:
- Parenting is leading by example. Think of your actions now as one of the most important lessons you'll ever teach your kids. A lesson that might heavily influence their view of you (no pressure here). The way I read your post, you'll want them to be honest more than being able to fake something? Show them you are honest.
- Unless you'll tell them it's ok to make nonJW friends, they probably won't, and in the mean time their dependence on JW friends grows.
- If you do tell the kids it's ok to make JW friends, they'll wonder why?
- Depending on their age, they can probably handle the real truth. At least they deserve it just as much as you think they deseved the fake truth. No need to pressure them either way, but maybe at least let them know some things?
Kids that move, survive the shock of having to make new friends. So whether you physically move, or ideologically move, your kids will survive that.
Giving them the opportunity to choose, and weigh in on the family decision will probably help a lot in them not resenting you and your wife (this is not only on you ;-) )
FYI my kid is not even 1 yet so I am not hindered by any real experience with teenagers ;-)
Good luck.
Your family (including your teenagers) is already in a better place than it was before.
You have bestowed upon them the gift of real, free thinking for themselves instead of blindly following any good or bad meaning person with a seemingly good story (like WTBS, husband/dad, Nigerian email scammer, Fox news, etc).
Ps. I agree with person posting about the "Goat herders guide to the galaxy".
Once you know WTBS (there is BS in that abbreviation for a reason) is dishonest in everything they write, you might want to investigate the real evidence with regards to human existence starting with Adams creation in 4026BCE, the flood, and evolution. It says a lot about both JW and the Bible. It also says a lot about God.