Sparkling Adventures Pt 10 - David Pleads Guilty - Merge

[Diana]

5 hours ago, StepMonsterInLA said:

FJ stop bumping this gal. I need her outta my brain. Is she fundie? 

She is not fundie, but she used to be, her parents were missionaries in Africa, and she and her husband used to be religious i think. I started to follow her only recently and she doesnt seem to follow any religion now. 

[Ungodly Grandma]

On 9/12/2015 at 8:56 PM, DaffyDill said:

 

 

I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as was my father. My mum was born in a country town in Australia, and her family has been traced back to 1066 and the Battle of Hastings (my great grandparents came here from Scotland when my grandfather was 6 months old).

 

However, despite being born there and having an Irish parent, I find it hard to claim being Irish. I can't remember living there, I don't recall a thing about it. I'm happy to say my ancestry is Scots/Irish, but I pretty much stop short of saying I am Irish because it doesn't feel right to claim that.

My parents were both first generation Irish. We had Irish grandparents (obviously) and parent's aunts and uncles all spoke with the brogue. In our family, no one was considered Irish unless they were born and raised over there,. As immigrants, my grandparents were very proud of being American now, and that their children/grandchildren were American. 

[August]

My kids have unfettered internet access. 

But that's (of course) not the whole story. I watch them so carefully, I look at their histories, we talk endlessly about never ever clicking on a random youtube video (they have permitted channels, and I tell them over and over again that there is really mean, really scary stuff out there. This is helped by the change in youtube where they only suggest things similar your history. They would not be on youtube at all if it still popped up porn in the sidebar), we sit and talk about that first page of google results, looking at the link, asessing reliability and potential for scariness, I've drilled into them that you never ever ever give real info, always fake a name, age and location, and avoid if possible (in practice this has only been used for kahn and minecraft and one time I joined a minecraft forum).

This is also a process they're going through at school.

The moment I get an inkling that they're more curious than scared about what's out there, I'm shutting that shit down. There will be no pirn, ever, for starters. I'm actually considering putting controls on since a younger one has been sneaking off with the computer to watch minecrft videos (on the approved channel) when they're meant to be playing minecrat. But it's the thin edge of the wedge, possibly. 

It does make me nervous, just like climbing trees makes me nervous, but I think it would be a disservice to my kids to avoid this period of time when they're actually receptive to my guidance to help them learn how to be safe online rather than throwing them out there at the age of fifteen or whatever, when they will do the opposite of what I say just to be contrary. It's that whole parenting thing of gradually steping back and letting them do the talking to the hairdersser, doctor, etc. Talking about drugs and consent in terms of coffee and hugs when they were little, and morphing that conversation as they get older.

[sparkles]

2 hours ago, Diana said:

She is not fundie, but she used to be, her parents were missionaries in Africa, and she and her husband used to be religious i think. I started to follow her only recently and she doesnt seem to follow any religion now. 

Lauren may not be a religious fundie any more but if fundamentalism is about rigid thinking and the belief that you're better than everyone else because they've all got it wrong, then Lauren is as fundie as they come. She's embraced her counter-culturalism just as she embraced her Christian fundamentalism. She's an all-or-nothing person and I think if any of her girls embraced a more "normal" lifestyle, she'd be just as judgmental as she accuses others of being.

[August]

Forgot to add, when they were younger we used whitelist parental controls (you say exactly what they can see, down to what apps appear on the desktop), and the less reliable kid only has internet and minecraft on an account they don't know the password for.

[QuittersTry]

8 hours ago, StepMonsterInLA said:

FJ stop bumping this gal. I need her outta my brain. Is she fundie? 

To me, Lauren (and David) show the extreme (and tragic) results of fundamentalists who reject Christianity, but still compulsively need to belive in something.

Also, Lauren has intense abandonment issues...she clearly feels that her parents loved god/their missionary work more than raising their own children (Lauren and her sisters where sent to boarding schools in Africa that had Christian/American curriculum). The fact that she never fit in and identifies as growing up a "third culture kid". It's a warning to these missionary families...the damage they can cause to their children.

[Gemini]

5 hours ago, Ungodly Grandma said:

My parents were both first generation Irish. We had Irish grandparents (obviously) and parent's aunts and uncles all spoke with the brogue. In our family, no one was considered Irish unless they were born and raised over there,. As immigrants, my grandparents were very proud of being American now, and that their children/grandchildren were American. 

My city has the largest annual Irish festival in the UK. Many of us have Irish roots, following the influx of Irish during the 1800's potato famine. For most it's great grandparents or further up the family tree, but omg do we consider ourselves Irish! It sounds so strange to hear someone say they aren't Irish when they've been born there.

I went to two weddings last year that both had the traditional ceili dances, and there wasn't an Irish accent to be heard! 

Many of us even follow a football team that was chosen by our great/grandparents based on its good Irish roots! And we have thousands of Irish fans that make the journey on the ferry to watch the game every week.

My family did think we had Scottish roots too due to a very strong scots surname on my mother's side, however it turns out my great great grandfather changed it to try and avoid being arrested, but that's a whole other story! 

 

[Kailash]

My 10 year old has access to internet without parental controls. She polices herself, probably more strictly than I would. We have talked a lot about what is appropriate and what isn't, and if she views something that scares her, or has curse words (I'm not so worried about this but she is), or semi nude characters (even cartoon), she absolutely will not watch it. She often turns the volume off if she's watching a minecraft video she's never seen, just in case there's curse words.

If I had more than one child, I would not go about this the same way. But I do only have one, and I check her history, texts, etc. She knows not to give any personal info, etc.  She comes and talks to me if she has seen or heard something that doesn't sit well with her. We are often watching it together.

In my opinion, Lauren lacks parenting skills. She doesn't parent. That is the biggest issue I have with her. Her children need, and DESERVE a parent. Not discussing sexual predators is a terrible idea. I agree completely that her girls are probably perfect targets for perverts. They are so desperate for adult attention, and not knowing that there is inappropriate adult attention makes it worse for them. She is such a terrible excuse for a mother.

[LovelyLuna]

Ive been gone for a few months, but I came across this on FB just now and HAD to share. HOLY FUCK!!!

[mamallama]

Holy Fuck pretty much sums it up.

[MakeitSew]

Wow. I was just thinking about Lauren yesterday while contemplating dreads. I never expected news like this. I'm kinda dumbfounded.

[Trudestar]

Lauren has just announced on fb she's pregnant, due in August!

Wow!

[littlemommy]

Oh. Yay. 

[Trudestar]

Spoiler

 

 

Could be April Fools joke??

[jafrmano]

I cannot tell from the comments on Facebook if this is an April Fool's joke or a real announcement. 

[truthseeker]

4 minutes ago, jafrmano said:

I cannot tell from the comments on Facebook if this is an April Fool's joke or a real announcement. 

Surely it's got to be an April Fool.  Keeping my fingers crossed until 12 o'clock ....

[sparkles]

For a second there I figured I was about to become a medical miracle. 

[Palimpsest]

On 3/20/2016 at 9:18 AM, QuittersTry said:

To me, Lauren (and David) show the extreme (and tragic) results of fundamentalists who reject Christianity, but still compulsively need to belive in something.

Also, Lauren has intense abandonment issues...she clearly feels that her parents loved god/their missionary work more than raising their own children (Lauren and her sisters where sent to boarding schools in Africa that had Christian/American curriculum). The fact that she never fit in and identifies as growing up a "third culture kid". It's a warning to these missionary families...the damage they can cause to their children.

I liked your post - but I have to point out that an awful lot of "third culture kids" appreciate their backgrounds.  Yes, we will always be different and feel different.  But we also joke about how we can recognize each other across crowded rooms - and find our people.  My closest friends are all TCKs, now I think about it.

There is a richness to being a TCK.  So many of us grow up to be TCAdults too.

However, Lauren was and is royally screwed up.  And is screwing up her children.  On that we definitely agree!

 

[happy atheist]

I hope this is a prank, but since when does Lauren have a sense of humor?

 

[Trudestar]

Her post is gone now. 

Pranked!

[Evilbad]

My son is a third culture kid, as are most military kids. It's not a terrible thing if they're still raised with structure and consistency.

[Koala]

On Nov. 10th she posted:

Quote

ith this pregnancy and birth, I did something truly lovely, loving and selfless. It kinda makes me wish I was young and fertile again so that I could help other people out, but this birthing chapter has closed permanently for me, I’m glad to say — no more babies from this body! Six is exactly enough.

Guess she changed her mind....

http://www.sparklingadventures.com/index.php?id=2061

[truthseeker]

3 hours ago, happy atheist said:

I hope this is a prank, but since when does Lauren have a sense of humor?

 

Surprising, but strangely reassuring.  I suspect the prank was specially for FJers.  Cheers, Lauren.

[Rubaiyat]

On March 20, 2016 at 5:18 AM, QuittersTry said:

To me, Lauren (and David) show the extreme (and tragic) results of fundamentalists who reject Christianity, but still compulsively need to belive in something.

Also, Lauren has intense abandonment issues...she clearly feels that her parents loved god/their missionary work more than raising their own children (Lauren and her sisters where sent to boarding schools in Africa that had Christian/American curriculum). The fact that she never fit in and identifies as growing up a "third culture kid". It's a warning to these missionary families...the damage they can cause to their children.

While I agree that her upbringing seems to have left her needing more from her parents, Lauren has a desperate need to be different.  She's one of those kids that was going to be damaged by her parents, or something in her childhood, no matter what they did.  She is one of those people that is determined to be a "courageous" victim, because that will (hopefully) bring her the most attention.  

[Eternalbluepearl]

So...I don't get prank pregnancy announcements. Tell a bunch of people you're pregnant, then say haha! You believed me! Well ya...we're grown adults and you said you were pregnant....