Teri Maxwell gets passive aggressive about the ABC girls

[Toothfairy]

This is the saddest shit I've read about these people. These poor girls. Teri is just cold.

[nomoxian]

Why didn't she try to be more creative and fun like the aunties then?

That would require her to have a creative, independent thought; and we can't have anything like that, now can we STEVE??

I guess even Charlotte's Web would have to be truncated before the part where Fern rides the Ferris Wheel with Henry Fussy.

STEVE could always take a black marker to the book while humming the tune of that song about a boat and a stream...

I'm glad all of you have good memories of your grandmas cuz I don't. My mom's mom died when I was two and my dad's mom paid very little attention to me, clearly favored my brothers over me then wondered why I was rude to her.

I'm really sorry that happened to you :( There's lots of kids with no grandparents, or grandparents who are either inattentive or abusive or live too far away. I think there should be programs like Bigger Brothers/Sisters but for grandparents.

[church_of_dog]

I think there should be programs like Bigger Brothers/Sisters but for grandparents.

I think there are, at least in some cities. My mom went through a period where she was bummed that I didn't have kids because that meant she didn't get grandkids, and she did find a community program where she connected up with a "kid who needed a grandma" for some activities and visiting time.

[FJismyheadship]

My grandmother is almost 80 and not in good health but makes a point to play with my daughter. She will feed her, watch a movie with her, take her outside,etc. She is enamored by her only great grandbaby and would do anything for her. Even though it wears her out, even though she has trouble walking from one end of the house to the other without getting winded and needing to sit.

[nomoxian]

My grandmother is almost 80 and not in good health but makes a point to play with my daughter. She will feed her, watch a movie with her, take her outside,etc. She is enamored by her only great grandbaby and would do anything for her. Even though it wears her out, even though she has trouble walking from one end of the house to the other without getting winded and needing to sit.

One of my grandmothers died before I was born, and I don't know two of them because one of my parents was adopted (hope that's not confusing!) but my Grandma was fairly active with me even though she had health issues throughout her life. Completing puzzles, playing cards, listening to music, reading stories, watching television, making popcorn - you don't need to be really *physically* active to play an active role in a young childs life. Spending time with her as a young child also kept me away from some not-so-positive stuff that was going on in my home.

A grandparents home should be a safe and happy place for a child to be. Terri doesn't even give her grandkids the joy of toddling over to her house. She has to go over to visit, and she has to choose the activity, and she gets to decide how long they will do it for. How sad.

[danvillebelle]

I am sorry for those of you who missed out on the grandparent thing and I know how blessed I was and I don't take it for granted. My husband didn't know his paternal ones and his maternal ones were awful, cold people who lived in the same city but never visited or even called. My grandmothers lived until 1999 and 2006; he got to know both of them very well and is thankful for it because he says now he feels like he had grandmothers. :)

My maternal grandfather was wonderful; sadly, he died when I was only 8. I have his picture hanging in my dining room and think about him every.single.day. He was that kind of man. My paternal one...not really worth remembering. :ew:

[DaffyDill]

I am sorry for those of you who missed out on the grandparent thing and I know how blessed I was and I don't take it for granted. My husband didn't know his paternal ones and his maternal ones were awful, cold people who lived in the same city but never visited or even called. My grandmothers lived until 1999 and 2006; he got to know both of them very well and is thankful for it because he says now he feels like he had grandmothers. :)

My maternal grandfather was wonderful; sadly, he died when I was only 8. I have his picture hanging in my dining room and think about him every.single.day. He was that kind of man. My paternal one...not really worth remembering. :ew:

My maternal grandfather was the closest thing I had to a father figure when I was young. My vague memories of my father include his penchant for bouncing my mother off walls, so when they split, and mum moved us to Australia, Grandpa filled in. He was a retired school teacher/principal, and would ring me up to help with maths homework, I'd spend a few days with him and Grandma, and go golfing with him, and just generally be spoilt, although he wasn't backwards in telling me when I'd overstepped the mark, either.

He passed away when I was 24, and I cried like a baby. Three years later I had my first child, a boy, who is named after him.

[PennySycamore]

I think there are, at least in some cities. My mom went through a period where she was bummed that I didn't have kids because that meant she didn't get grandkids, and she did find a community program where she connected up with a "kid who needed a grandma" for some activities and visiting time.

One program is the Foster Grandparents Program, part of Senior Corps.

Senior Corps

[SolomonFundy]

Funny, I see the complete opposite. I see them making their lives a shrine to Steve, especially Teri. I see them "talking/praying" to him many times during the day and living like he is watching their every move. "Dad/Steve would be happy if we did xxxx, Dad/Steve would be so proud of our doing xxxx", etc.

Yeah, I think it would be like that for a year or two, but eventually, they'd realize that there was no omnipresent Stevil to remind them of their sin and shortcomings. Sort of like learning to use your arm again after a cast is taken off. You're really careful for a while because you feel like the cast is still there, then you have the period of fear because you know the cast is gone and you feel weak without it, but then... daylight. After a few more days or weeks, you suddenly look down one day and realize that you're strong and healed, and that you don't miss it (or bean burritos) in the slightest.

[Season of life...]

I think there are, at least in some cities. My mom went through a period where she was bummed that I didn't have kids because that meant she didn't get grandkids, and she did find a community program where she connected up with a "kid who needed a grandma" for some activities and visiting time.

My local library had a program where patrons could volunteer to read to kids outside of storytime hours. Most, if not all, were retired folks. A selection of books was kept on a nearby table, or the child could choose their own. It was heartwarming to walk by and see several kids sitting on the rug in front of a beaming volunteer who could not only read the story, but also 'do the voices'. The children were drawn to them like magic.

[OnAndOnAnon]

Teri isn't gong to let those kids lose in a library to pick their own books, who knows what they might bring to her-- they might bring this and expect her to read it to them

Haven't we wondered if even Sarah is allowd to go to the library on her own?

I have been trying to figure out what would make this book objectionable? What am I missing?

[singsingsing]

The Maxwells think secular music is evil, so they blacked out all the lyrics to songs in their kids' piano workbooks, including 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'.

[OnAndOnAnon]

The Maxwells think secular music is evil, so they blacked out all the lyrics to songs in their kids' piano workbooks, including 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat is evil? What the what? You know, just when you think you've heard everything... What is wrong with these people?

[Black Aliss]

Row, Row, Row Your Boat is evil? What the what? You know, just when you think you've heard everything... What is wrong with these people?

The rowing was okay because it's similar to paddling a kayak. It

was the merrily part and the suggestion that life is but a dream they found objectionable.

[anjulibai]

The rowing was okay because it's similar to paddling a kayak. It

was the merrily part and the suggestion that life is but a dream they found objectionable.

Plus, Jesus isn't mentioned at all. The only appropriate songs are about Jesus.

[nausicaa]

Row, Row, Row Your Boat is evil? What the what? You know, just when you think you've heard everything... What is wrong with these people?

And don't forget, one must never let one's teenage children watch documentaries that mention any religion other than Protestant Christianity. Particularly if candles are lit. Otherwise you have failed as a parent.

[Letgo]

Row, Row, Row Your Boat is evil? What the what? You know, just when you think you've heard everything... What is wrong with these people?

I think Steve said that he did not want senseless lyrics cluttering the minds of his children. They are not worship hymns so there is no need or point in knowing them. Sometimes I think of all the things the Maxwell kids don't know, that is pretty much common knowledge for everyone else. If any of them ever did decide to leave they would be culturally ignorant, way beyond the level of most other fundies who leave.

[zadie]

I don't follow the Maxwells but I know a little about them via mentionings on FJ. I clicked on this thread out of curiosity and boy am I glad (or regretful?) that I did.

How absurd. A grown woman being JEALOUS that her grandchildren like to spend time with her daughters??? They're YOUR daughters! Shouldn't you be GLAD that you raised daughters children love?????

Besides their obsession with schedules, it seems to me the 20 minutes only thing is about her forcing the girls to want to spend time with her. She mentions in the post that they would play with her but would rather be with the Aunties. I think it bugged her that the girls didn't want to spend time with JUST grandma. I think by strictly cutting off the reading time it's her way of manipulating them to want more.

It's sad when someone can make Erika Shupe look chill

[zadie]

Wow, I just watched that video on their blog with the daughter talking abou the Moody books. That's one of the most awkward videos I've seen in awhile. So many fundies seem so poor at expressing themselves.

Also, isn't an age range of 7-early teens way too big??? I'm not saying that as a teen I never enjoyed children's books, but I don't think you're supposed to label them that way. You might as well label it 7-adults in that case.

[Guest]

Maybe Teri isn't jealous that the ABC's prefer their aunties, maybe she's sad. Clearly the aunties are good with kids and enjoy them, and clearly Steve is never going to let them have any kids of their own. Maybe it's hard for her to watch, or maybe Sarah gets depressed when the ABC's go home or something. Or maybe I'm giving Teri too much credit. Either way, I hate what Teri and Steve did to their kids.

[16strong]

Wow, I just watched that video on their blog with the daughter talking abou the Moody books. That's one of the most awkward videos I've seen in awhile. So many fundies seem so poor at expressing themselves.

Also, isn't an age range of 7-early teens way too big??? I'm not saying that as a teen I never enjoyed children's books, but I don't think you're supposed to label them that way. You might as well label it 7-adults in that case.

Definitely. I wasn't reading Moody-style books at 13-15 (early teens). I might have been reading them to young children, but by then, I was definitely reading Harry Potter as a guilty pleasure. Mostly, I was reading thousand+ page fantasy novels in my personal time and classic literature such as Poe, Charlotte Bronte, Chinua Achebe, and Toni Morrison at school. Books that dealt with increasingly heavy subjects like racism, war, radical cultural change, and death. Not a single exploding sausage to be found. :shifty-kitty:

Wow. Writing down my public school experience (at not the best public school) just made me feel very terrified about the Maxwells' existence. I bet they haven't read more than five non-bible books in their whole lives, and those five were probably devotionals, legalistic crap from "friends," and that Sarah Mally book.

[zadie]

Definitely. I wasn't reading Moody-style books at 13-15 (early teens). I might have been reading them to young children, but by then, I was definitely reading Harry Potter as a guilty pleasure. Mostly, I was reading thousand+ page fantasy novels in my personal time and classic literature such as Poe, Charlotte Bronte, Chinua Achebe, and Toni Morrison at school. Books that dealt with increasingly heavy subjects like racism, war, radical cultural change, and death. Not a single exploding sausage to be found. :shifty-kitty:

Wow. Writing down my public school experience (at not the best public school) just made me feel very terrified about the Maxwells' existence. I bet they haven't read more than five non-bible books in their whole lives, and those five were probably devotionals, legalistic crap from "friends," and that Sarah Mally book.

That's my reaaction whenever I hear about reading being limited in some capacity. I have always loved reading, and while I know every child cannot be like me, it pains me to hear about children's opportunities for reading be stifled.

I volunteered as a reading tutor last year and it always pained me when kids seemed to not think it was important. Mostly because I could tell they didn't actually believe that, but were saying that because they were bad at it. I know because A. there were times when it was clear they really enjoyed the book, and B. I did the same thing with math for a long time.

I have an older brother and he's never been much of a reader, but he was never stifled in any way. And he will read something if you recommend it. It just takes him longer to get around to it/finish it.

Just. Ugh. It's one of those things that make me so sick. My parents never stifled our reading. They let us read pretty much anything. Like, they never treated comics as a lesser form of reading, and they also never really stopped me from reading things way above my grade level lol.

[halcionne]

Definitely. I wasn't reading Moody-style books at 13-15 (early teens). I might have been reading them to young children, but by then, I was definitely reading Harry Potter as a guilty pleasure. Mostly, I was reading thousand+ page fantasy novels in my personal time and classic literature such as Poe, Charlotte Bronte, Chinua Achebe, and Toni Morrison at school. Books that dealt with increasingly heavy subjects like racism, war, radical cultural change, and death. Not a single exploding sausage to be found. :shifty-kitty:

Wow. Writing down my public school experience (at not the best public school) just made me feel very terrified about the Maxwells' existence. I bet they haven't read more than five non-bible books in their whole lives, and those five were probably devotionals, legalistic crap from "friends," and that Sarah Mally book.

I was reading Helter Skelter, Stephen King, and V.C. Andrews in my early teens. The Moody books wouldn't have appealed to me at all, not even as true horror. :lol:

[nastyhobbitses]

I was reading Helter Skelter, Stephen King, and V.C. Andrews in my early teens. The Moody books wouldn't have appealed to me at all, not even as true horror. :lol:

I was all about Stephen King, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, history books, and historical fiction in my early teens. The Moody books would have bored me to tears even as a child (when Ella Enchanted, Little House on the Prairie, and the Dear America books were my jam).

[Trynn]

I'm not even sure I'd have been able to force myself to finish the moody books as a child, and I was the kid who ALWAYS finished a book I started.