Lisa Pennington blogs again

[Coco]

Here's the stage selfie: The weird thing is that Lisa is not treating her kids like this in a vacuum. She has friends who approve.

And three of her daughters went with her. All those other moms at the conference, surely they're in churches, they're in homeschool groups. I know most of those moms probably aren't as crazy as Lisa and i'm sure most of them are sending their kids to college but i'm just confused about why Lisa's daughter had to get the help of relatives to escape. I guess Faith was just being smart and getting out in a way that she knew would keep her safe. But how is Lisa keeping her other kids under her thumb? Are a few of those moms doing the same things to their kids? Aren't Lisa's kids around more mainstream people at church? Their dad is a lawyer or something, right? So why aren't they doing internships and out in the community? Has Lisa really hijacked her family that much? How is she locking down those kids, some of whom are older than Faith was? Sorry about the paragraph of question marks :lol:

I sort of get it, because i grew up on the fringe of AOG and then pseudo-Mennonite, my family participated in homeschool groups and yeah i was kind of scared to go out and get a job but it never seemed impossible... I know how religion can trap someone even when they're out in society. But how can Lisa's kids not be able to move out on their own? What kind of brainwashing does that take, to make kids afraid of their own shadow? Why would a mom choose to do that? I don't understand.

I have kids - i want them to know how to function in society. It's sad that there's even a few moms out there who think it's okay to do that to their kids. I mean i can kind of see it in really strict cults like Mennonite because that's a society unto itself that tries to be separate from "the world" but Lisa and moms in groups like ATI are not that separate. And then i guess they're so stressed out being controlling they do weird stuff like have some kind of a weird pajama party thing and run around like 8 year olds. Was Lisa in a sorority or something and doing goofy stuff is a throwback for her? It's just so strange.

[Mango]

I'm creeped out as fuck because one of my FB friends is slowly falling into that group (she was at that seminar) after being failed BADLY by her (very good, honestly- highly rated!) school district in regards to a kid with very unusual special needs. :( I worry so much about how things are going to play out.

I honestly didn't think the photos of the costume party/pj party were that weird - I mean, it's basically a convention, only for homeschoolers instead of fandom weirdos, so it's like fundie cosplay, just different from the LHOTP flavor we usually see. (Not excusing Lisa, but well- it's just not as snarkworthy as most of her behavior.) It WAS inappropriate to bug some random not-there-for-their-group person to take a photo, but well, LIsa - she does so much horrible stuff that that sort of fades into the background.

[Delilah]

The weird thing is that Lisa is not treating her kids like this in a vacuum. She has friends who approve

.

Maybe she's their queen!

[calimojo]

what I find interesting about Lisa, is she seems to rarely ever talk about her husband or really even the kids very much. Yes she talks about parenting tips, but I just feel like this is all just so much "me me me me".

Do we know if she is a Gothardite?

I kind of feel like in many cases, it is the women who are pushing these crazy lifestyles onto their families. I think the men are heads of the family in name only, but they are more or less just going along with it.

I hate to say this, and my feminist consciousness is cringing, but I sometimes think these women don't really want to work, so they turn to these "Careers" as the SAHM, and keep having kids so they have a reason to never have to work outside the home. I mean, if they have 10 different kids to home school, a million bottles of oils to sell, and worthless pieces of crap they call crafts to sell on Etsy, they can't possibly have the time to work.

The thing is, I support women staying home if they can afford it, and if their parenting partner is in agreement. I support moms working if that is what they want to do, as well.

But any woman who stays home but then works hours each day on a blog, selling oils, running an etsy, "Writing Books" on parenting, managing their pinterest, etc is not a woman who is staying home for her children.

I went to Erica Shupes site and looked at some of her examples of how she does her daily schedule. OMG, my heart broke for her kids, as they literally seemed to have every minute managed. Even free time was described as "watch a documentary".

When I see something like that, Or Lisa's blog and all of her "expert advice" on how to run your family, I just wonder why people are so afraid of their own children that they feel the need to dominate, mind control and schedule them to within a inch of their lives.

I remember Frank Zappa saying one of the best things his parents did for him was to let him be bored, because then he was forced to be creative with his own time.

But look at this overprogrammed kids. No wonder they don't know how to behave as adults. If they have lived with every single minute of their day scheduled, then how the fuck are they supposed to know what to do with themselves when they aren't at home anymore? I mean Erica Shupe even scheduled a time for one of the daughters to fill a water pitcher. "Fill Half, then wait and do another task, Then fill the second half". I assumed it was a brita filter that needed to drain before filling it fully up.

Anyway, Lisa and Erica and the idiot who wrote the guidebook on scheduling your children's everywaking moment can all pretty much kiss my ass.

Oh and for a cult of people who are supposed to practice JOY, there sure seem to be a lot of narcissists. In fact, I think the cult attracts them. How clever to disguise your narcissism by wrapping it in righteousness

[Johanna25]

I think that in many of these patriarchal Christian families, the wife was the driving force in choosing the lifestyle. Their husbands may have been detached and not involved in parenting; the wife felt overwhelmed and unsupported. By putting him in a "headship" position she makes him become more of a husband and father. She rules by submitting. In fact, many of them are probably passive aggressive and expert manipulators.

[calimojo]

I think that in many of these patriarchal Christian families, the wife was the driving force in choosing the lifestyle. Their husbands may have been detached and not involved in parenting; the wife felt overwhelmed and unsupported. By putting him in a "headship" position she makes him become more of a husband and father. She rules by submitting. In fact, many of them are probably passive aggressive and expert manipulators.

I would agree, they are probably expert passive aggressive manipulative narcissists. The cult seems to be a great way to make all of that pathology appear to be "Godly".

In any other setting these people would be the outcasts, or the ones constantly in some sort of turmoil because the world doesn't revolve around them.

But the Fundie world, welcomes this and rewards it. The pure audacity and arrogance that some of these SAHM bloggers demonstrate is amazing. They all need a course in humility and modesty. And they need to learn that Humble Bragging is still bragging.

Lisa probably really enjoys being the "cool" kid in her band of misfits.

[whoviana]

I think that in many of these patriarchal Christian families, the wife was the driving force in choosing the lifestyle. Their husbands may have been detached and not involved in parenting; the wife felt overwhelmed and unsupported. By putting him in a "headship" position she makes him become more of a husband and father. She rules by submitting. In fact, many of them are probably passive aggressive and expert manipulators.

I have seen this manipulatively phoney-submissive shite in the secular world too. It always reminds me of the *it's been a while...* that scene in the movie My big fat Greek wedding where they manipulate that dumbass stupid "headship" of the family into thinking that her thirty-ish daughter should be allowed to take a job. And then, when the headship figured out what the submissive housewife wanted her to say, he bathed in the praises like a dog after doing a barrel roll on command, thinking he's the smartest thing on earth.

[VVV]

I'm creeped out as fuck because one of my FB friends is slowly falling into that group (she was at that seminar) after being failed BADLY by her (very good, honestly- highly rated!) school district in regards to a kid with very unusual special needs. :( I worry so much about how things are going to play out.

I honestly didn't think the photos of the costume party/pj party were that weird - I mean, it's basically a convention, only for homeschoolers instead of fandom weirdos, so it's like fundie cosplay, just different from the LHOTP flavor we usually see. (Not excusing Lisa, but well- it's just not as snarkworthy as most of her behavior.) It WAS inappropriate to bug some random not-there-for-their-group person to take a photo, but well, LIsa - she does so much horrible stuff that that sort of fades into the background.

It would have been inappropriate to bug a random adult. But this is a minor child whose picture has been posted for the world to see. It was a quinceanera; that by definition means the girl in the beautiful blue dress was celebrating her 15th birthday. Who here thinks that Lisa even thought to get a signed release from the girl's parents? She has no boundaries at all.

Oh, and whoever pointed out that Lisa was featuring a stranger in a dress that under no circumstances would her own daughters be allowed to wear was spot on.

This woman gets under my skin in a very big way. She claims to be frugal when all the evidence suggests that she is the opposite of frugal. She is an obvious materialist and an obnoxious purveyor of overhyped and overpriced oils. She is a horrible, controlling mother. She has no boundaries with her children; she stole a map from her sons that she knew they liked, and proceeded to ruin it. Her adult children (minus the one with a brain and a backbone) live at home with no apparent means to support themselves above a sort of "hobby" income. Her own parents helped her one daughter escape. How crappy a mother do you have to be for your own parents to side with your estranged child? Her entire extended family has cut her off. It hasn't occurred to her that if everyone is shunning her, it isn't them, it's her.

I am hoping against hope that she is vain enough to google her name and find this thread, curious enough to read it, and honest enough to admit to herself that if this is how the rest of the world sees her, perhaps they have a point. Well, that last hope is certainly misplaced.

[Feministe9000]

More comments/responses on Lisa's blog about her daughter's absence.

This is from a lady called "Elizabeth":

I think that you should be making it your business to find out how she is doing – NOT to interfere or assign guilt, but to reassure yourself that she’s OK and to give her the message that despite having your differences, you love her and your car about her. Your current attitude is akin to “shunning†which is unkind and not productive for either of you.

I speak from experience. My daughter left briefly at 18; her Dad and I continued to maintain a relationship with her and she returned. She left home permanently at age 27, when she married her wonderful husband.

Elizabeth, there is absolutely nothing akin to shunning happening here! We pursue her as much as we can, invite her to dinner, send her texts with well wishes, etc. We constantly tell her we love her and pray for her and that we only want to build a new adult relationship with her. You can’t maintain a relationship with someone who refuses to communicate with you at all.

It’s wonderful that your daughter would allow you to do that, but if they won’t then you can only try and pray.

It’s not as simple as it sounds in a short blog post. It’s not possible for you to know what I “should†do when you have limited information. I do appreciate hearing your story though. I am so glad your daughter found her way back to you.

Lisa~

Elizabeth:

I apologize for the “should†statement. It is not my place to tell you what you should do.

I realize that there is a much bigger and far more complex story at hand and I am, thankfully not privy to the details. However I stand by my comment of “shunning.â€

“They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwindâ€

(I'm sure she's a fundie, but damn she tells it like it is, go Elizabeth!) :cracking-up:

Wow Elizabeth, that’s a strong stand for someone who doesn’t know me at all.

Frankly, it’s ridiculous. We have done nothing even close to shunning. We persue our daughter as much as we can without being pushy. I don’t even know where you got that idea, but you are totally wrong.

And the verse you chose from Hosea 8 suggests you are comparing me to the foolishness and idolatry of Israel and that I will reap a severe judgement. I’m sorry, but that is offensive.

Here’s a verse I would apply to this comment, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.†1 Peter 4:13-14

Lisa~ :evil: :violin:

Once again, she thinks she is oh so "blessed". Honestly, do you really think Lisa, that Faith wants to come do things like meet up with the whole gang of you for dinner, after you have transferred your shame and blame onto her siblings, leaning on your husband and hiding behind your Bible, what's she going to say to you? What do you really have to say to her that is some real honest truth?

Elizabeth is right: "I realize that there is a much bigger and far more complex story at hand and I am, thankfully not privy to the details."

You and me both! :pull-hair:

[VVV]

Bumping this thread to make it easier to find in case Faith Pennington is reading here.

And Faith, if you are reading here, best wishes to you for a successful adult life. You've already demonstrated the grit and determination needed to go far in life. :clap:

[Ralar]

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