Parenting
OP - May 29, 2011, 04:51 PM
I can't help but laugh at the irony of possibly raising a little theist. My daughter has insisted on going to the Sunday school all her cousins are attending. As much as I disliked the idea (and even considered refusing), I let her attend. I had struggled with the idea of exposing her culturally vs not bringing up the issue at all, but in the end, I think this is what works for us. As long as she insists on going, I am not going to stop her - after all, I'm the one who put/reinforced all kinds of nonsense into her head when she was younger and I was still a theist. I realize its unfair for me to expect her follow my lead especially when she still young enough to struggle with separating fantasy from fiction.
Right now, she gets no reinforcement at home, but throughout the week, its become sort of fun dissecting what she has been taught on Sunday. I plan on volunteering at one of the Camp Quests in my area next year when she becomes old enough to attend and hope to turn that into a annual thing to really counter all these sundays.
Anyway, this has made my lovely mother very happy, sometimes I am a bit too hard on her. In talking to her today, I was surprised when she said "it does no good to be angry at god as you have been. It's important for you to know that a mother's prayers for her child is powerful." Mom, god already has this big plan set out, nothing I do is going to change that. "yes well, a mother's intervening for her child is very powerful, there was this <insert fantastical story here illustrating the power of a mother's dua>" Um, where did that happen, what was the guy's name? "Do you want me to hold your hand and take you to the place?! It happened!" we both laugh and we go back and forth with me pointing out how she either has a god who has this great, big plan that is already set or we can have prayers to change that plan in which case there is no plan. The conversation ends as it always does with her giving up and saying "oh, you know too much." (which is not a compliment).
What I love about this is that she has taken my non-practice (I don't actually tell her I am not a Muslim!) pretty well, considering.
Topic: Parenting