JW Restrictions on Children

NotFormer

Issues raised in this thread:

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6496820625145856/non-jw-parent-dating-jw-who-wants-children

I'm trying to list all the things JW children are not allowed to do, or are discouraged from doing. Feel free to correct me if wrong, or something is somewhat more nuanced than suggested here, and please feel free to add to the list. The list begins:

Birthdays and holidays

Extracurricular school activities and clubs

Charity drives (walkathons and bake sales, etc. to raise money for charity)

Scouts and similar organisations

After school community youth groups (YMCA, PCYC etc.)

Church youth groups

School dances, prom, homecoming etc.

The school band

School plays (do schools do "Waiting for Godot?)

Chess clubs, gaming groups at the local games store

Sporting clubs

Certain hobbies (please add examples if not mentioned above)

moley

Having fun

Beth Sarim

Anything what any kid/ teen likes to do.

Beth Sarim

The Borg is probably one of the most abusive, restricting,, oppressive groups out there.

Ron.W.

Dating non witness schoolmates.

NotFormer

Carla added some things on the above quoted thread:

"Occult themed" cereal like Lucky Charms or Count Chocula (these were never a thing in this country. I think you can get them at The Reject Shop)

Voting (I assume JW kids can't vote or run for school, class president, etc.)

Non-JW friends

Tertiary education ambitions (trade school might be okay)

Balaamsass2

As a kid I wanted to be in band, learn to read music, and play an instrument. NOPE. "to much time, Christmas music, and bad worldly associations".

I wanted to join the Scouts, learn Karate, Fly fishing, and Scuba Diving. Big NO.

I wanted to go to the state college. NO.

But I HAD to carry the suicide card on me at all times (no blood card), publicly sit for the national anthem, and not salute the flag. (resulted in some beatings).

I couldn't attend dances, classmates' parties, date, or my prom.

NotFormer

Balaamsass2, that's a good list. 👍 Or, should I say, that's a bad list! JWs say that they don't believe in Hell, but at the same time, it sounds like they made life Hell on Earth for you.

Martial arts is another one for the list.

I assume fly fishing was objected to on a time wasted basis? Scuba, because the money was better spent on "the Kingdom"?

Making kids carry the blood card is a whole new level of evil!

AudeSapere

A few years ago I attended an 'Inter-Faithless' Beach gathering.

All sorts of people who had left high-control groups were invited.

I was chatting with a group of ex-Mormons and ex-Muslims. One of them said "We always felt so sorry for the JW kids. They had it so bad. The only thing worse than growing up as a Mormon was growing up as a JW!"

It's a very lonely childhood. Not allowed to have friends at school. Friends at the hall are dependent on how spiritual (outwardly devoted) they - or you - are.

Must never dress with current style. Always ultra conservative and extremely modest.

TonusOH

Ron. W: Dating non witness schoolmates.

I would even say "dating witness schoolmates." Though that wasn't quite set in stone. My recollection is that JWs see dating as the first step towards marriage and not as some fun fling that kids do as they enter adolescence. Dating was frowned upon for anyone not in their late teens (and for some parents, dating was not for anyone in their teens at all).

Many JW parents were also fanatical about music or other media. I remember being teased at school because I wasn't allowed to watch a Bond film on TV (The Spy Who Loved Me, if I recall correctly) because it had the "Parental Discretion Advised" warning. And this was network TV, where movies were heavily censored to appeal to exactly that sort of parent.

And of course, not being allowed to salute the flag or recite the national anthem. While I do not care for these activities being forced on children in school, it was yet another way to differentiate ourselves in an environment where it was already difficult to fit in. I was fortunate that I usually had one or two other JW classmates to share the misery with. But we had to either sit at our desk while everyone else stood, or leave the room and wait in the hallway. Not very fun.

JW Restrictions on Children

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