Reading this felt so déjà vu! We had camp refusal and throwing away scriptures and opting out of the temple too. It was hard at first. My son began communicating his disinterest in Church in grade 9 and although I struggled with it initially, my perspective changed over the years. He's 21 now and I am so proud of him for taking a stand and being true to his beliefs even though it was hard for him to be so alone. Did I make mistakes? Yes, absolutely, and not just in this. But I did a lot of good things too, and I think parenting is about the balance. I'm glad I have owned my mistakes and shared what I've learned from them, and I'm glad I chose to prioritize our family relationships over obedience and honour our shared values: kindness, love for nature, generosity, and integrity. We are strongly connected. And good friends.
A really beautiful and powerful piece. My youngest just turned 19. He stepped away at 14, during Covid. Bittersweet in so many ways. I really wish I could go back and raise my kids again with all the knowledge I have now. But that’s just not the way of life. Live. Learn. Rinse. Repeat. 🙏🏼
Reading this felt so déjà vu! We had camp refusal and throwing away scriptures and opting out of the temple too. It was hard at first. My son began communicating his disinterest in Church in grade 9 and although I struggled with it initially, my perspective changed over the years. He's 21 now and I am so proud of him for taking a stand and being true to his beliefs even though it was hard for him to be so alone. Did I make mistakes? Yes, absolutely, and not just in this. But I did a lot of good things too, and I think parenting is about the balance. I'm glad I have owned my mistakes and shared what I've learned from them, and I'm glad I chose to prioritize our family relationships over obedience and honour our shared values: kindness, love for nature, generosity, and integrity. We are strongly connected. And good friends.
I love this and I love you, Blakelee! Thank you for sharing such tender thoughts with all of us. Also, your son is my new favorite person.💪🏽
A really beautiful and powerful piece. My youngest just turned 19. He stepped away at 14, during Covid. Bittersweet in so many ways. I really wish I could go back and raise my kids again with all the knowledge I have now. But that’s just not the way of life. Live. Learn. Rinse. Repeat. 🙏🏼