The kid thread: Planning, pregnancy & parenting

[econstudent]

Sept 14, 2017 20:39:04 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

TheHaitian - If I were you, I'd vote "no" on the Gymboree again.  Those baby classes are a total waste of money, she'd get as much out of crawling around your kitchen with some household items to play with.  Put the $80/month in a 529 or a savings account for later.  You're going to be forking over money for years for activities, don't start at 6 months! 

As a disclaimer, I did take older son to a lot of them, but he's no more intellectually advanced than his brother because of it.  It turned out to be mainly a place for me to go socialize when I was staying home. 

This. And, there are lots of free ways for the baby to see other babies and for moms to make mom friends.

[Sam_2.0]

Sept 14, 2017 19:50:53 GMT -5 Pants said:

Sept 14, 2017 19:42:56 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

I didn't like how Awana used kids to recruit other kids into joining.  Even kids who had a strong religious upbringing other than evangelical Christians were being recruited.  My daughter begged and begged to go with her friend, who kept telling mu daughter that it was just a really fun thing where they play games, read books, and have snacks.  It was tempting for a 7 yr old girl.  My daughter went once.  She came home disgusted and said it was a few games, and a lot about God.  I heard later that the member kids were sort of given a quota to bring X number of new kids to an Awana meeting each year.

Maybe that's not how it is at each church/Awana group. But that's how it was in our area in the 1990s. I also didn't like the church that sponsored it (philosophically or otherwise).  I thought their ulterior motive was to rope the kids into joining Awana so they could rope the parents into coming to the church and then joining the church so they could get more and more donations to add onto the building for their every-growing flock.  

Sam, maybe I missed this somewhere, but why is your mother pushing you to allow your kids to go to Awana anyway? I don't get it.    

If I remember correctly, it's because her parents are fundamentalists/evangelicals. Pushing others into evangelism is sort of the default setting.

Bingo. When I let Aly go once last year, thinking it wouldn't be too bad for the littles, she came home and cried for months every night thinking that she was going to hell. Nothing like telling a bunch of little kids that they are evil and facing eternal torment. No thanks.

[raeoflyte]

Sept 14, 2017 21:07:43 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Sept 14, 2017 19:50:53 GMT -5 Pants said:

If I remember correctly, it's because her parents are fundamentalists/evangelicals. Pushing others into evangelism is sort of the default setting.

Bingo. When I let Aly go once last year, thinking it wouldn't be too bad for the littles, she came home and cried for months every night thinking that she was going to hell. Nothing like telling a bunch of little kids that they are evil and facing eternal torment. No thanks.

Sam--does your mom know this?  If she does and she's still pushing for them to go, I'd lose my shit.  

I went to awana's for a year with a friend in middle school before my mom pulled the plug.  I did go for the games and to hang out, and spent the rest of the week making fun of their attempts to brain wash me.  Mom only tolerated it because I was so honest about the religious stuff they did and my feelings about it, but its just another example that I won't ever be as cool as she was. No way I'd let my kids go to something like that for even a month.  

[Sam_2.0]

Sept 14, 2017 21:13:14 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Sept 14, 2017 21:07:43 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Bingo. When I let Aly go once last year, thinking it wouldn't be too bad for the littles, she came home and cried for months every night thinking that she was going to hell. Nothing like telling a bunch of little kids that they are evil and facing eternal torment. No thanks.

Sam--does your mom know this?  If she does and she's still pushing for them to go, I'd lose my shit.  

I went to awana's for a year with a friend in middle school before my mom pulled the plug.  I did go for the games and to hang out, and spent the rest of the week making fun of their attempts to brain wash me.  Mom only tolerated it because I was so honest about the religious stuff they did and my feelings about it, but its just another example that I won't ever be as cool as she was. No way I'd let my kids go to something like that for even a month.  

Yep, she knows. She told me it was a good sign that A was scared - it meant she was "spiritually sensitive". I lost it on her. I can't keep DH from taking the kids there - they are his kids, afterall, and he has a right to teach them what he believes if he feels that strongly about it. But he doesn't seem to really want to take initiative on it and I sure as heck am not wanting to take them there. Mom is not allowed to take them to church or any programs without specific permission.

[raeoflyte]

Sept 14, 2017 21:17:29 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Sept 14, 2017 21:13:14 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Sam--does your mom know this?  If she does and she's still pushing for them to go, I'd lose my shit.  

I went to awana's for a year with a friend in middle school before my mom pulled the plug.  I did go for the games and to hang out, and spent the rest of the week making fun of their attempts to brain wash me.  Mom only tolerated it because I was so honest about the religious stuff they did and my feelings about it, but its just another example that I won't ever be as cool as she was. No way I'd let my kids go to something like that for even a month.  

Yep, she knows. She told me it was a good sign that A was scared - it meant she was "spiritually sensitive". I lost it on her. I can't keep DH from taking the kids there - they are his kids, afterall, and he has a right to teach them what he believes if he feels that strongly about it. But he doesn't seem to really want to take initiative on it and I sure as heck am not wanting to take them there. Mom is not allowed to take them to church or any programs without specific permission.

oh god Sam.  I just can't imagine how anyone thinks that's okay.  

[Pants]

Sept 14, 2017 21:17:29 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Sept 14, 2017 21:13:14 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Sam--does your mom know this?  If she does and she's still pushing for them to go, I'd lose my shit.  

I went to awana's for a year with a friend in middle school before my mom pulled the plug.  I did go for the games and to hang out, and spent the rest of the week making fun of their attempts to brain wash me.  Mom only tolerated it because I was so honest about the religious stuff they did and my feelings about it, but its just another example that I won't ever be as cool as she was. No way I'd let my kids go to something like that for even a month.  

Yep, she knows. She told me it was a good sign that A was scared - it meant she was "spiritually sensitive". I lost it on her. I can't keep DH from taking the kids there - they are his kids, afterall, and he has a right to teach them what he believes if he feels that strongly about it. But he doesn't seem to really want to take initiative on it and I sure as heck am not wanting to take them there. Mom is not allowed to take them to church or any programs without specific permission.

What the fucking fuck? Also, given what you know about the program and its effect on Aly, I would also keep your DH from taking the kids, even though they are his too. That is not ok.

[Deleted]

Sept 14, 2017 18:58:01 GMT -5 saveinla said:

Sept 14, 2017 18:34:07 GMT -5 oped said:

Isn't AYSO everywhere? 

Apparently not as I understand from this thread. 

I've never heard of it.  We have our local traveling league that has traveling and not traveling that is a part of MYSA (MN Youth Soccer Assoc).  Maybe that's the same thing?

My older son was in a bazillion activities.  We tried practically everything at least once.  He was a super compliant kid and would agree to anything I suggested he took, he would say he had fun, but then at the end of the 3 month session if I asked if he wanted to keep going he'd say, "no, not really".  With the exception of being a strong swimmer after many sessions of lessons, he never stuck with anything long enough to become skilled in anything.  Either I got really lucky the past couple years or he's maturing or both, but absolutely everything he's signed up for last year he wants to continue with. Plus he sought out robotics club at the public high school this Fall.  He has NEVER shown interest, and signed up for anything on his own before, so that was kind of a shocker. Unfortunately, I think he's overscheduled now, and I'm a little worried he's not going to be able to keep his grades up. 

Now Carrot.  I started him in piano lessons at 5 and he's still going a year and a half later.  He never complains about practicing or says he wants to stop going and he's actually getting pretty good.  Kids are so different. 

[saveinla]

AYSO has a big presence here in SOCal. It is the American Youth Soccer League and they have multiple games in a lot of venues. You have to be lucky to get in a spot in the good teams.

[justme]

Sept 14, 2017 20:04:56 GMT -5 Pants said:

Wisconsin Beth - can't be bothered to find your post couple pages back (who knew activities was such a raging topic? ) The gymnastics place where we take B has a ninja warrior class, so there might be one at a gym near you.

I wrote a post earlier about activities but it got eaten. We've done swimming with both girls - B since 18 months, K since 15 months or so. We continue to do swimming. We are a water family, my parents have a pool and a large pond on their property and to us knowing how to swim is a safety issue. So that's non-negotiable.

As part of B weaning off physical therapy from her paralysis, her PT pushed us into gymnastics. I was hesitant as I don't think gymnastics is a particularly admirable sport at the higher levels (abusive coaches, crazy parents, absurd diets, etc.), her dad is 6'4" and I'm 5'7", so she's not going to succeed long-term as a gymnast due to body type, and I didn't want anyone to be putting body image issues on her generally.

Eating my words, because it's been FANTASTIC for her. The class is barely managed chaos for 5 year olds, but she's volunteering to go first for things, being brave and talking more about how she's strong. Even before she got sick, B was not a physically confident kid. Then add in total paralysis, months in a wheelchair, then leg braces, etc. etc. We are 3 weeks into gymnastics and the other day at the park she climbed all the way up a 2-story section of the play structure, tried the monkey bars and wanted us to look at how strong she was climbing around generally. If this is what gymnastics does, I'll give them $100/month forever. 

Because she's doing so well - given my experience in gymnastics - I would highly suggest you see if you can get away with contact info for her coaches assuming they're the catalyst and not the gym. My first coach was amazing and for some reason he conflicted with the gym (I have no idea but wouldn't be surprised as an adult looking back if he taught to girl's ability even if they couldn't afford the higher level classes) and he was abruptly replaced with a coach that wouldn't let me do anything advanced I had previously learned and I lost so much skill and confidence before my mom noticed and yanked me out. It took a couple gyms before my parents found one that would coach to my ability even if they couldn't afford the team rates. To this day I still love that gym because once I was getting too tall he still made my dream come true to compete even though he never got team $$$ from me.

Just wanted to point that out given how much she's been through and don't want the bitchy side of gymnastics to touch her if possible.

PS I'm 5'10 and height is in my family and no one said much about my height limiting because I loved it so much. Or at least that I remembered lol

[Pants]

Sept 14, 2017 22:39:05 GMT -5 justme said:

Sept 14, 2017 20:04:56 GMT -5 Pants said:

Wisconsin Beth - can't be bothered to find your post couple pages back (who knew activities was such a raging topic? ) The gymnastics place where we take B has a ninja warrior class, so there might be one at a gym near you.

I wrote a post earlier about activities but it got eaten. We've done swimming with both girls - B since 18 months, K since 15 months or so. We continue to do swimming. We are a water family, my parents have a pool and a large pond on their property and to us knowing how to swim is a safety issue. So that's non-negotiable.

As part of B weaning off physical therapy from her paralysis, her PT pushed us into gymnastics. I was hesitant as I don't think gymnastics is a particularly admirable sport at the higher levels (abusive coaches, crazy parents, absurd diets, etc.), her dad is 6'4" and I'm 5'7", so she's not going to succeed long-term as a gymnast due to body type, and I didn't want anyone to be putting body image issues on her generally.

Eating my words, because it's been FANTASTIC for her. The class is barely managed chaos for 5 year olds, but she's volunteering to go first for things, being brave and talking more about how she's strong. Even before she got sick, B was not a physically confident kid. Then add in total paralysis, months in a wheelchair, then leg braces, etc. etc. We are 3 weeks into gymnastics and the other day at the park she climbed all the way up a 2-story section of the play structure, tried the monkey bars and wanted us to look at how strong she was climbing around generally. If this is what gymnastics does, I'll give them $100/month forever. 

Because she's doing so well - given my experience in gymnastics - I would highly suggest you see if you can get away with contact info for her coaches assuming they're the catalyst and not the gym. My first coach was amazing and for some reason he conflicted with the gym (I have no idea but wouldn't be surprised as an adult looking back if he taught to girl's ability even if they couldn't afford the higher level classes) and he was abruptly replaced with a coach that wouldn't let me do anything advanced I had previously learned and I lost so much skill and confidence before my mom noticed and yanked me out. It took a couple gyms before my parents found one that would coach to my ability even if they couldn't afford the team rates. To this day I still love that gym because once I was getting too tall he still made my dream come true to compete even though he never got team $$$ from me.

Just wanted to point that out given how much she's been through and don't want the bitchy side of gymnastics to touch her if possible.

PS I'm 5'10 and height is in my family and no one said much about my height limiting because I loved it so much. Or at least that I remembered lol

Can see that. Right now it's just a kiddo class - they jump on the tramp, into the foam pit, do somersaults, etc. it's taught by a teenager who I assume trains at the gym. Which is totally fine! If she follows through and starts doing actual gymnastics I can see that being really important. Right now I'm just thrilled that she's willing to JUMP into a foam pit instead of being coerced to do it. So good for her!

[justme]

Sept 14, 2017 23:04:23 GMT -5 Pants said:

Sept 14, 2017 22:39:05 GMT -5 justme said:

Because she's doing so well - given my experience in gymnastics - I would highly suggest you see if you can get away with contact info for her coaches assuming they're the catalyst and not the gym. My first coach was amazing and for some reason he conflicted with the gym (I have no idea but wouldn't be surprised as an adult looking back if he taught to girl's ability even if they couldn't afford the higher level classes) and he was abruptly replaced with a coach that wouldn't let me do anything advanced I had previously learned and I lost so much skill and confidence before my mom noticed and yanked me out. It took a couple gyms before my parents found one that would coach to my ability even if they couldn't afford the team rates. To this day I still love that gym because once I was getting too tall he still made my dream come true to compete even though he never got team $$$ from me.

Just wanted to point that out given how much she's been through and don't want the bitchy side of gymnastics to touch her if possible.

PS I'm 5'10 and height is in my family and no one said much about my height limiting because I loved it so much. Or at least that I remembered lol

Can see that. Right now it's just a kiddo class - they jump on the tramp, into the foam pit, do somersaults, etc. it's taught by a teenager who I assume trains at the gym. Which is totally fine! If she follows through and starts doing actual gymnastics I can see that being really important. Right now I'm just thrilled that she's willing to JUMP into a foam pit instead of being coerced to do it. So good for her!

Glad you found that! It's one of the biggest bummers of the sport - girls mostly peak well before they're 18 competiton wise so some coaches suck if you're not amazeballs by age 6. Which is sucks because so many can find fun in it for years without aiming fit Olympics.

[raeoflyte]

Timely....tonight C tells me how much he wants to try archery.  I loved archery for the 12 seconds that I did it.  Goodbye money!  

Chances are we can stall on that till spring though.  

[raeoflyte]

Sept 14, 2017 21:56:53 GMT -5 Pants said:

Sept 14, 2017 21:17:29 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Yep, she knows. She told me it was a good sign that A was scared - it meant she was "spiritually sensitive". I lost it on her. I can't keep DH from taking the kids there - they are his kids, afterall, and he has a right to teach them what he believes if he feels that strongly about it. But he doesn't seem to really want to take initiative on it and I sure as heck am not wanting to take them there. Mom is not allowed to take them to church or any programs without specific permission.

What the fucking fuck? Also, given what you know about the program and its effect on Aly, I would also keep your DH from taking the kids, even though they are his too. That is not ok.

If he does want to take the kids, and he already knows that this is an issue what on earth is his plan for damage control?  It seems like he agrees more on your side of things Sam and wouldn't think it's okay for A to be afraid she's going to hell, but is trying to reconcile that belief with his upbringing.  

[zibazinski]

As someone who was exposed to a religion of fear and still have some of the residual effects, the trauma of exposing a young child to a religion of fear instead of love is not to be taken lightly. Kids and adults feel enough bad about themselves without a place that should be preaching love and acceptance, adding to those fears and insecurities.  Just my opinion. Kids take things very literally, hence my hiding in a closet while dressing because God sees you everywhere and not looking in a mirror because God will strike you blind if you're vain. 

[Pants]

Sept 14, 2017 23:51:59 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Timely....tonight C tells me how much he wants to try archery.  I loved archery for the 12 seconds that I did it.  Goodbye money!  

Chances are we can stall on that till spring though.  

I'd start with just getting him a nerf bow and putting a target in the backyard. It doesn't have to be a class...

[Sam_2.0]

I don't think DH has a damage control plan. He feels fine at that church because he didn't grow up there - he doesn't have the history there that I do. Many of the people I have the most problem with have since moved on, but some remain. He just sees a place where his family is very involved and it's the easiest, most comfortable option for him, so that's where he goes by default. Every time I bring something up it comes back to being my "misinterpretation" of what's going on. He thinks they are naïve and simple. I see it as being dangerous and damaging. So right now the main plan is that we really don't go to church at all. Or he goes and I stay home with the kids. Or we go to a different church that is still fairly conservative for my taste but I can tolerate the children's curriculum much better - and they use a scheduled curriculum so I know what they are going to be talking about and we can skip days if I don't think they need to be there.

[zibazinski]

I think some religious upbringing is good. People should know about religion. Then make their own choices.

[Deleted]

Ex 2.0 is taking Carrot to first communion classes.  I'm not real thrilled about it, but I let it go.  I'm hoping my laid back agnostic perspective can mitigate some of the extremism of his family with regards to religion.  They're very fire and brimstone.  When ex was having his mental breakdown a few years back his Mom was trying to hire an exorcist.  Nothing was his fault.  It was the DEMONS.  

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 15, 2017 5:53:45 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

As someone who was exposed to a religion of fear and still have some of the residual effects, the trauma of exposing a young child to a religion of fear instead of love is not to be taken lightly. Kids and adults feel enough bad about themselves without a place that should be preaching love and acceptance, adding to those fears and insecurities.  Just my opinion. Kids take things very literally, hence my hiding in a closet while dressing because God sees you everywhere and not looking in a mirror because God will strike you blind if you're vain. 

My mom was raised hard core old school Catholic.  She told me that at seven she feared cross walks because she thought it said "Presbyterian crossing" and she would go to hell if she used their sidewalk.

She also has told me of how her grandfather made fried chicken for dinner on a Friday once and didn't tell her it was Friday till she had eaten it all.  She spent all night terrified she was going to hell.

And that's why I've never been to church.  It's also why she decided to baptize me in the Lutheran church instead.

She never got why my grandmother was so pissed that my dad was Lutheran so I told her about the reformation.  She was never given a reason, the church just told them everyone but Catholics were going to hell.

Later after my grandfather died grandma started attending a Baptist church.  Mom was rather pissed about the hypocrisy considering my grandmother spent many years telling her that we'd go to hell because we weren't baptized in the Catholic church and how much shit mom got about my dad.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sept 14, 2017 23:51:59 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Timely....tonight C tells me how much he wants to try archery.  I loved archery for the 12 seconds that I did it.  Goodbye money!  

Chances are we can stall on that till spring though.  

the archery place I want to use doesn't do kid lessons until age 10. In the meantime, if we see archery at the Ren. Faire or wherever, we shell out for the kids to shoot. K has the Rebelle Nerf bow but I think she'd rather have a real one.

I had a two week course on archery in high school. I just remember it as fun.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 15, 2017 8:22:38 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I think some religious upbringing is good. People should know about religion. Then make their own choices.

I do agree with that.  I used to have a gorgeous children's bible my great uncle bought me and I liked to look at the pictures.  I apparently absorbed a lot more than I realized because I can converse quite well about many bible stories.

DH has been going thru an extensial crisis here and there since the kids were born.  He decided to get on my case about being an atheist and how I don't know anything so I can't talk.

Supernatural decided to introduce Cain into the show.  During his first scene he was sitting down to eat. . .corn.  I commented on how well Supernatural does their homework.  DH didn't get it so I asked him if he knew the story of Cain and Abel.  Nope.

I explained it to him and afterwards I said that if you want to give me shit, know something about the topic you are claiming superiority over.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sept 14, 2017 20:04:56 GMT -5 Pants said:

Wisconsin Beth - can't be bothered to find your post couple pages back (who knew activities was such a raging topic? ) The gymnastics place where we take B has a ninja warrior class, so there might be one at a gym near you.

yeah, I keep looking under ninja warrior or obstacle courses. I'll try gymnastics. I keep hoping that Adventure Rock decides to expand but I think that's a pipe dream.

[Lizard Queen]

I went to Catholic School for grades 1-6, and I don't recall much talk about hell at all. I'm sure there would have been more in Jr and HS, but I never got that far. I mostly remember learning about helping others. I figure that I came to my current beliefs through that background, so it can't be that bad. In that school, I felt like I was encouraged to reason and use my brain in order to figure out my beliefs. I'm sure if they realized where that led me, they wouldn't be too happy about, but oh well.

As for Awana, my take is that it is just a convenient curriculum for this particular church, but after this discussion here, I'm once again leary of it. I mean, I don't even believe in hell, so it would piss me off to no end if someone were trying to scare my kid with the whole idea of it.

[Pants]

Sept 15, 2017 8:36:15 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Sept 14, 2017 20:04:56 GMT -5 Pants said:

Wisconsin Beth - can't be bothered to find your post couple pages back (who knew activities was such a raging topic? ) The gymnastics place where we take B has a ninja warrior class, so there might be one at a gym near you.

yeah, I keep looking under ninja warrior or obstacle courses. I'll try gymnastics. I keep hoping that Adventure Rock decides to expand but I think that's a pipe dream.

Yeah, it's just listed on a sign in the gym "Now offering Ninja Warrior course!" not promoted or anything. Something to look into! 

[Sam_2.0]

AWANA really depends on the church that is doing it. But it is a fairly fundamentalist curriculum that talks about sin and being "saved" with even the preschoolers and young elementary kids. The churches DH grew up in focused more on the memorizing verses and playing games. Ours focused more on the conversion factor. That's why we were always encouraged to bring out friends along - to help them get saved.

[Pants]

Sept 15, 2017 9:06:48 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

AWANA really depends on the church that is doing it. But it is a fairly fundamentalist curriculum that talks about sin and being "saved" with even the preschoolers and young elementary kids. The churches DH grew up in focused more on the memorizing verses and playing games. Ours focused more on the conversion factor. That's why we were always encouraged to bring out friends along - to help them get saved.

BTW your facebook post on the issues with child evangelism was really interesting. (Or repost. Or comment. Whatever I read a lot of the shit you like on FB.) It really has helped me understand a bit more about "spiritual abuse" and how that f*s you up. 

Thanks for posting. 

[tcu2003]

Sept 15, 2017 9:09:37 GMT -5 Pants said:

Sept 15, 2017 9:06:48 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

AWANA really depends on the church that is doing it. But it is a fairly fundamentalist curriculum that talks about sin and being "saved" with even the preschoolers and young elementary kids. The churches DH grew up in focused more on the memorizing verses and playing games. Ours focused more on the conversion factor. That's why we were always encouraged to bring out friends along - to help them get saved.

BTW your facebook post on the issues with child evangelism was really interesting. (Or repost. Or comment. Whatever I read a lot of the shit you like on FB.) It really has helped me understand a bit more about "spiritual abuse" and how that f*s you up. 

Thanks for posting. 

Ditto.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Sept 15, 2017 9:06:48 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

AWANA really depends on the church that is doing it. But it is a fairly fundamentalist curriculum that talks about sin and being "saved" with even the preschoolers and young elementary kids. The churches DH grew up in focused more on the memorizing verses and playing games. Ours focused more on the conversion factor. That's why we were always encouraged to bring out friends along - to help them get saved.

Wonder if that's what my mom got suckered into going to when she was 18.  She had a born again Christian friend who wanted her to come attend "church" with her. 

My mom said it was scary as heck and she grew up as a fire and brimstone Catholic.   The freaky factor got upped several notches when people started speaking in tongues.

She didn't hang out with that friend anymore after that.

[gracendignity]

My daughter and her family, as well as her DH's family, all attend a Baptist church with AWANA. DD teaches the puggles group (ages 2 and 3) and my granddaughter is a cubbie (4 and 5 year olds, I think).  The oldest granddaughter is 14 and is in just  a 'youth group' set up.   Maybe she has aged out of it, or maybe her church just does AWANA through grade school.  I really am not sure on that.  I never heard of AWANA until the last few years and, frankly, I just thought it was a Baptist youth group thing--a new name for what used to be Sunbeams, etc., when I was growing up. 

I think different churches must use AWANA in different ways.  I had no idea until reading here that AWANA had a negative reputation in some places!   At DD's church they do not use those scare tactics at all.  I'm most familiar with the 2 youngest groups, but it is all God Is Love and God Made Everything type set up.  I'd be horrified if I thought any of my grands were being subjected to scare tactics and You Will Burn in Hell religious teachings!

I love to read these threads.  I learn so much!

And, for those of you in the throes of child-activities, may I just say that one day you will graduate to being the grandparent.  All you have to do is show up at the designated time, and clap wildly for your grandchild.  It's a good time!

[justme]

Sept 15, 2017 9:32:16 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Sept 15, 2017 9:06:48 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

AWANA really depends on the church that is doing it. But it is a fairly fundamentalist curriculum that talks about sin and being "saved" with even the preschoolers and young elementary kids. The churches DH grew up in focused more on the memorizing verses and playing games. Ours focused more on the conversion factor. That's why we were always encouraged to bring out friends along - to help them get saved.

Wonder if that's what my mom got suckered into going to when she was 18.  She had a born again Christian friend who wanted her to come attend "church" with her. 

My mom said it was scary as heck and she grew up as a fire and brimstone Catholic.   The freaky factor got upped several notches when people started speaking in tongues.

She didn't hang out with that friend anymore after that.

I agreed to one of those things from a friend because it included free tickets to the sorta local NBA team I loved. Did not realize we were going to be preached too after the normal fans left. I naively got suckered into a break off group to talk about my soul. They quickly shoved me outside to where the pizza was when I asked, after they had been going on about only needing to ask for forgiveness once, whether that meant I could go kill people and still go to heaven because I asked to be forgiven that one time at a basketball game.

I was a brat.