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Needing advice about friend's child
I am really bothered by the amount of Jesus spewing forth from my friend's two year old. They go to a Community of Christ Church on sundays and they go whenever there is an event (like Halloween.)
Their son constantly says thinks like :"Jesus is making it rain." "Jesus is up in the clouds right mommy?" "Why do I have to die before seeing Jesus?"
The questions go on and on. I'm glad he is asking questions like why do I have to die before seeing him, and I'm glad the mom answered the question "well some people think that you have to die, but no one really knows."
What I hate is the fact that my friend is treating Santa like a game, her son can play along if he wants to but she tells him its a game (a lie, a fiction, etc.) Upon hearing this I bit my tongue not wanting to get into an argument over her parenting style as there being no difference between Jesus and Santa in my mind.
Her son has no choice but to go with the parents to church, sit in sunday school, and listen to the garbage. Listening to this once a week makes him repeat the things they (the sunday school "teachers") tell him.
I want to get him some educational toys, books about the universe. My friends are not scientifically inclined. Does anyone have some suggestions? I'm in fear that he will grow up to be a "faith head" if this continues.
Tags: and, children, educational, religion, school, sunday, toys
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kristin9924 on -
I think the best thing you can do is just encourage the child's natural curiosity. Being as young as he is, you might consider toys or books about dinosaurs. Most kids love dinosaurs and if he is really inquisitive, as he gets older he will hopefully want to learn more about them and other areas of science. Outside of that, any kind of toys that deal with learning , logic, science, or critical thinking skills would be a good investment. When he's a little older, you could to take him to a science or natural history museum and encourage his curiosity.
You might also want to check out some books about sharing philosophy with kids; Little Big Minds by Marietta McCarty is a good one. There are also several websites that pair children's picture books with philosophical lessons. It is a great way for children to develop critical thinking skills...and it is difficult to become a "faith head" if you can think critically.
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Permalink Reply by godfree inseaofred on -
I would also suggest books about gods and heroes (especially those from the parents' cultural backgrounds) as it will help to give a perspective that there are other gods and heroes that we no longer celebrate, but that ones ancestors did. Paired with the critical thinking books, it would give a bright child who is questioning what he or she is learning a way out of that morass.
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Permalink Reply by AletheaT on -
Thank you so much for the advice. From what I understand building on critical thinking skills is key to raising a smart individual. The most important thing to me is keeping him from losing the brilliance I see him exercising on a daily basis. I think dinosaurs will work, he does like to run around and yell :D.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on -
Wait, this is not your kid. Forget it. I'm all for teaching kids to think critically, but I'm not all for interfering with how people raise their own kids. They have to decide for themselves that its messed up, you can't decide for them. What if they did the opposite to your kid? You'd be furious. The kid is two. There is nothing you can do. Personally, I couldn't be that close friends with someone who was that way, we'd have nothing in common. When the kid is older, if you are still friends, you can give him science toys for gifts. That's all that you can do.
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Permalink Reply by Navin Johnson on
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And unfortunately there is very little we can do about this...and there is very little we SHOULD do about this.
Don't get me wrong, I disagree with what is happening. But I disagree for ME. I don't have any children, it has been a life choice for my wife and I NOT to have kids. The world is overpopulated enough. But, if we were to have a child, both of us are Athiests, and we would instill athiesm into our child.
I am sure if a religious person would talk to my child, they would be alarmed that he or she would not believe in God. They would probably think it was wrong. Just as wrong as we think Jesus is spewing from the two year old in your post. And what right would they have to change how I have raised my child? And vice-versa.
Eventually, who knows, my child might meet the girl (assuming I have a son) of his dreams, to find out she is a devote Catholic, and to win her heart he might try to understand her religion and maybe he might even become indoctrinated into it. If that is so, then that is the way it is. I will do my best to instill values to hope this doesn't happen, but in the end it will be his choice.
Just becuase the two year old today is spewing Jesus, in 20 years they might be president of the American Athiest Foundation. Who knows. Most Athiests were believers at some point.
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