Primary Program

[Linked]

Unapologetic Complaining below:

Our primary program is coming up and as the Sunbeams teacher I get a front row seat to the preparation. We spent 2 hours practicing yesterday, which is an impossible ask of a 4 year old. The calm ones were getting fidgety and the more energetic ones were yelling at each other. Punches were thrown (by the children at the adults).

And the songs are so awful. If you listen to the words as an outsider the brainwashing is so obvious. Then you have the kids get up in front of the congregation and say brainwashed things and see the beaming faces of parents and others in the ward. It is disgusting. And my kids are in the middle of it. My older son wrote his own little talk and he does a great job speaking. I am simultaneously proud and broken hearted.

[Corsair]

The only thing I possibly might appreciate in the Primary Program is if one of the children decides to go off script, preferably while yelling into the microphone. Alas, this did not happen in my ward.

[IT_Veteran]

My sister texted DW a few weeks back and asked if our 4yo was going to be in the primary program this year.

DW's complete text response?: "No"

It hasn't come up since.

[Thoughtful]

The only thing I possibly might appreciate in the Primary Program is if one of the children decides to go off script, preferably while yelling into the microphone. Alas, this did not happen in my ward.

Agreed. Like following off script "I'm thankful for dinosaurs" with a 4yo lisped recitation of all dinosaur species while boogering the mic.

[MerrieMiss]

I really hate it. They've got my kid talking about abstract concepts and words he can't read, doesn't understand - but he can repeat it. It frustrates him and it makes me angry.

The only thing I possibly might appreciate in the Primary Program is if one of the children decides to go off script, preferably while yelling into the microphone. Alas, this did not happen in my ward.

Usually this is my kid, but it looks like they've stopped that from happening this year by writing the script instead of letting the kids choose how to answer a prompt. Boring.

[græy]

My favorite past mishap was when one of the kids stood up and told the room how he hated reading scriptures, but since he needed to share a verse he liked he found one. "And men are that they might have joy."

And then he got down and walked back to his chair. No "in the name of..." No nothing. Just walked away.

Suddenly Foo Fighter's There goes my hero started playing in my head and the sun started setting behind all the chairs on the podium, his silhouette fading into the dying light.

I was proud of that kid. The honesty. The lack of caring what they thought. It was as epic as any 6 year old could possibly be.

[crossmyheart]

Due to a rough summer including a major surgery, we have been completely inactive for months.

That has not stopped the primary president from crossing all kinds of social boundaries to try to wrangle my kids into attending and participating in the program. I was nice at first and just said we will try. Because we did plan to try. But I started having to work Sundays and we also have kid's sports commitments on Sundays.

She hounded me on social media and got more aggressive until I had to tell her flat out a few weeks ago to back off. She kept offering to take my kids to church. I curtly asked her what is it about me that would give her the impression that I am the kind of parent that would allow my kids to attend church unaccompanied by me? I tried to be nice. I know she means well. But how many ways can you say no nicely before they back off?

Our primary program is tomorrow. We might attend once before Christmas and not too sure about next year...

[aoirselvar]

My wife asked me to practice the kids parts while she was out and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The indoctrination and brainwashing kills me. How the church teaches kids in general drives me crazy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Linked]

Well, it's over. Our sunbeam yelled the songs, and our older boy got a chuckle from the crowd on his self-written talk about how he likes FHE because it is fun family time. One of the Sunbeams hid under his chair the whole time. Somebody was passing a lot of gas. I'll take it.

My wife asked me to practice the kids parts while she was out and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The indoctrination and brainwashing kills me. How the church teaches kids in general drives me crazy.

Totally. It's disgusting. I like to sing, but singing the primary songs is too hard. Now I hum along trying to harmonize to take my mind off of it.

I once mentioned the word "brainwashed" to my wife in a discussion about mormonism. She did not like that. As painful and un-helpful as it was at the time, I think she sees it now in the primary stuff. We can just let that simmer for a while and hopefully she comes around.

Due to a rough summer including a major surgery, we have been completely inactive for months.

That has not stopped the primary president from crossing all kinds of social boundaries to try to wrangle my kids into attending and participating in the program. I was nice at first and just said we will try. Because we did plan to try. But I started having to work Sundays and we also have kid's sports commitments on Sundays.

She hounded me on social media and got more aggressive until I had to tell her flat out a few weeks ago to back off. She kept offering to take my kids to church. I curtly asked her what is it about me that would give her the impression that I am the kind of parent that would allow my kids to attend church unaccompanied by me? I tried to be nice. I know she means well. But how many ways can you say no nicely before they back off?

Our primary program is tomorrow. We might attend once before Christmas and not too sure about next year...

This sounds awful, I'm sorry they are walking through boundaries.

TBMs just suppress their "what I'm doing is insane" response and feel like they are doing it for Jesus. Then they are proud they did the "right" thing even though Satan or their human weakness made them nervous. I did that as a TBM many times. I am sure I made many people uncomfortable. Sorry to those people...