Following an earlier thread, I have a little different take on treatment of small children in the lds cult; I would call the treatment emotionally abusive. I realize that this is a bold statement, but it is my opinion, and I'm a stickin' to it and STICKIN' IT TO THE CULT.
My first major in college for 3 l/2 years was elementary education followed by becoming a mom to eight children (yes I said 8, I was thoroughly brain-dead and brainwashed by above mentioned cult). Part of my disconnect with the church began on those hard seats attempting to placate and entertain and keep quiet those little darlins". It was plain crazy and made me plain crazier than I already was. Plus the cheerio bill throughly tossed me and my hubby into a spiraling bankruptcy.(I swear on a stack of cheerios to the truth of this statement)
Being too meek and brainwashed at the time, I did not complain or demand changes; my response was to stay home rather than attempt the impossible. Needless to say, this led to comments and pointing-of-fingers and my feeling somewhat guilty.
I also cannot believe that the lds cult is not aware, that at least a few trained teachers and psychologists and psychologists have not brought up the fact, that the church could be much more responsible at meeting the needs of the children and filled the lds church suggestion box with tons of wonderful ideas. (what? your laughing that they would have a suggestion box that they ever looked at???? Moi aussi)
Howver I think the lds church chooses to ignore any well-meant suggestions, not wanting in the least to spend the money on play equipment or fences or creative needs for the classroom. Plus most of these so-called inspired(?)leaders have most likely not EVER wrestled with a classroom of hungry, ready-to-get-the- wiggles-out-children! So they think, what is the big deal? I used to handle my three-year-old just son just fine. Those teachers are just not preparing or praying hard enough!
I can just picture Holland or others in a classroom of 15 raging three-year-olds. LET'S ENCOURAGE THEM! Swear that ole joe told us in a revelation that this was needed and needed YESTERDAY.
Your children, grandchildren, and my grandchildren deserve it!!!!
Then they should hire top notch child development professionals to form a whole new set up to fit the needs of kids at every age.
It should include little if any sitting in chairs with arms folded and an abundance of time in interactive pursuits with other kids, teachers, art, music, and play equipment.
Also, wasn't that what Primary on the weekdays was about? Having a short lesson, but then having music & crafts? That's how I remember it being even though I was small.
See I only did 1 year of weekday Primary in 1979. & technically I shouldn't have even been there because I had only turned 3 that January. But I remember going, & my mom was the chorister (how she found time for that IDK because she was also a RS counselor).
I also remember during Junior Sunday school (which I was also allowed to go to), how we would have the Sacrament. & then going home in between & watching cartoons on ABC when they had cartoons on Sunday.
All this talk about primary makes me feel so sad for the kids, but so happy that my kids will never have to step foot in Primary. This week my kids are going to Vacation Bible school. (church day camp) As I walked around the kids area of our church this morning I realized how good kids have it at other churches outside of the Morg. Fun paintings and murals on the walls. Classrooms decorated in bright colors, with colorful carpets stocked with toys,books,and other fun stuff. Kids restrooms with shorter toilets and sinks. A playground outside.
My kids had a great time at VBS and I had 4 hours to do whatever I want. I paid 10.00 for the entire week for each child. The ten dollars isn't even required, but can be made as a donation. The rest of the money for VBS comes from the collection plate that goes around on Sunday. Yes the money we give to our church stays in our congregation, and is spent on great programs for all, and also given to certain charities. I feel so happy that I got out of the Morg as young as I did. My kids are so much Better off.
LDS cult are you listening???? Can you read and HEAR the words that are written here that would help you not abuse the children?
I won't loose sleep expecting a yes or even a reply. I believe the cult has spies that comb this and other ex-mo sights, but this will not be the story that catches their eye.
Girls earned little jewels, plastic icons, and felt sew-on cutouts to attach to the bandalo and show off at meetings or family gatherings. The goal was to fill the sash with every award possible which meant girls had to have good meeting attendance, give specific kinds of service, help at home, do cooking, sewing, give talks, do cleaning projects and other projects that made the church prettier and helped the priesthood and RS.
Mine is REALLY OLD. It was one of the green ones--and it wasn't a sash. It hung around your neck like the ribbon for the olympic medals does (that was the only example I could think of). It is a kind of green/turquoise felt. I'm not going to go get it out of my cedar chest to look it over better.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2014 10:59PM by cl2.
What, no way is "Follow the Prophet", "Do as I'm Doing", "Nephi was Courageous", and all those other bullshit songs are abusive. I think are confused, abuse is teaching children to think for themselves.
I think this applies to those of us that grew up with the church past Primary and into YW/YM because in a sense, they just continued the same things but with less coloring and cheerios and more discussion on why you shouldn't touch yourself.
Ain't that the truth, altava. Whatever would the older age group leaders find to talk about if they couldn't talk about staying far away from your of little factory and guarding your cupcake(s) with your very life?
In my day and age (eons ago) I had to sew on every single one of my earned reward do-hickies on that ugly purple felt bandelo; oh, and did I mention that I had to walk to church through tornedoe-strength winds and at least ten feet of snow? Last, but not least, we had no beautiful sparkling jewels nor plastic icons to make that bandelo glow. Mine, instead, had awards which kept falling off. (hey, I EVENTUALLY learned to sew on a button that actually stayed on). Another thing I remember is that there was seldom an occasion that I ever wore the stupid thing, not that I cared in the least.
I threw mine away as soon as I was out of the classes where we needed to have them. Going through my eldest sister's belongings after her death, another sister and I dicovered her bandelo in her hope chest. No way could either of us believe she had kept that old thing for tons of years. Wish it could have told us her story as to why she kept it. (she had not attended church for years and years, but I guess she had some special memories that the bandelo triggered)
I recall the torture of the bench. It was a cruel form of sensory deprivation for a five or six-year-old. You had to sit upright and face the drivel of self-important adults who had no facility for speaking. Like much of Mormonism, bench-breaking a child seems like a kind of hazing.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2014 09:48PM by donbagley.
I was in primary for about a year 7-8 years ago or so. What a terrible waste of time, its baby-sitting with a cult indoctrination kicker. We would spend about 5-10 minutes on the lesson, then the rest of the block was spent trying to keep the kids from burning the church down. Even in the older levels, you are teaching such mind numbingly repetitive stuff that almost none of them get anything out of it and sharing time is almost worse with its creepy songs of indoctrination.
Of course the entire program of the church, its teaching and doctrines, etc are based on a 19th century sex cult started by a conman, but even if it were true the bulk of the 3 hour block is abusive to everyone that has to sit through it. Even when I was a devout TBM I thought it was about 2 hours too long. You could always easily cover the meat of what was shared in an hour or less.
The church is made up of so much wasted time and effort. Imagine if every one of the 4 million or so active mormons worldwide spent 2 hours a week in actual volunteer efforts where they actually helped other people?
The primary program is poor. It doesn't meet the needs of children, only brainwashes them to suit the cult.
Kiddies are expected to be still and quiet beyond reason. When it doesn't work, it's the children who are blamed.
Other churches have playgrounds, lovely learning toys, easels, room to explore and beautiful playhouses and work stations. The Mormon church has circles of hard chairs in tiny bland rooms.
I was a "career" primary teacher (the only calling I loved and did). You might say I was no typical "stick to the manual" kind of teacher. My last calling was the Sunbeam teacher and boy did I have fun.
Play dough, finger painting with shaving cream, making "rainbow" toast, made peanut butter pinecone bird feeders, planted seeds, water color painted, etc.
PS- I didn't use the friggin' manual per se (I loved all the animal/bug/etc. lessons), and I always used outside sources for activities. And I ALWAYS had snack. The kids were always hungry and bored by the end of SM meeting.
The kids liked coming to my class. I was a preschool teacher for years and drew off my Early Childhood Education experience when teaching.
I tried to be the exception to the rule of "toe the line, only use approved sources, yada, yada." The Primary would probably blow a gasket if they know I was an evil "unbeliever" now!
I was nursery leader when the manual changed from "Sun, Moon and Stars" or "God gives us food to eat", to "Joseph Smith was a prophet" or "I have a spirit". Try teaching those concepts to an 18 month old! Morgbot that I was, I tried. Disasterous. Then, the bishop, got a wild hair that snacks couldn't be served on fast sunday. I called B.S.--released soon after. They wouldn't allow ANY snacks for my Sunbeams. It is abuse.
WTF??? No snacks on fast sunday or snacks at all? That would deserve a call to CPS.
I hated all the first vision, crapola lessons. Like a 3 year old could comprehend or care about those lessons. That's why I couldn't teach anymore and why I haven't been to TSCC in almost a year.
Someday I'll resign... Got a TBM OCD DH that would crack up if I left TSCC. Not ready to fight those battles.
When I was little, old ladies used to walk up behind children getting a drink of water on fast Sunday and pinch our butts hard. Sinful, sinful children, breaking fast with water... Oh wait, they'd probably disavow ever requiring members to include fasting from water, wouldn't they?
Twenty years or more. But of course first it wasn't emphasized anymore, although old pinchy ladies did their best. And so common sense began to spread about it, moms gave in to their babies, and now you won't find mention of water near anything to do with fasting, only food. And the older manuals have been turned in for new ones... What? We never taught that?!