How young is to young to know the truth?

Hello ATS,

My daughter will be 14 this year, and is oblivious to the world we live in. She is a straight A student and very driven to succeed and do her best. We are lucky enough that she is a highly motivated child that aspires to become a veterinarian and own a pit bull rescue. She spends most of her time watching animal shows enjoys any and everything to do with animals, loves to go cattle sorting on horse back, training our dog and any thing else you can imagine to be around animals, has even volunteered during the summer to work at a shelter.However Public schools systems have pretty much gone to crap and in my opinion are just the ground work for brainwashing the mass's, teaching them to conform, be submissive to authority and manipulating history to paint a pretty picture of what our country (USA in my case) is, was, and will be.

So my question to you guys is how long should i wait before i start turning her world upside down? I want her to be aware of global banking cartels, big business and their lobbying tactics and how our "elected" officials are bought and sold along with our futures by these criminals to make more money while millions world wide starve and go homeless. I want her to be aware that television, advertising, product placement, is jammed down our throats to distract us from the real world around us.

How young is to young before you explain the real reasons you don't let her drink soda's, candy's, and other processed foods is that these companies use chemicals that are poisonous to our bodies, and that the government agency that are supposed to protect us from them don't? How about these same agencies allow pharmaceutical to produce drugs with out proper testing and often have worse side effects then the original problem

How old should she be before I sit her down and tell her that 15 of the 19 terrorist that attacked our country were citizens of a Allie country, but yet we invade two other countries in a war that has almost lasted her entire life time? When would be a good time to inform her that the PTB profit from war on our tax dollars. What kind of role model would i be if i told her that when our country wants something, natural resource's, we make excuse's to go to war and take it.

In a material world when would it be good to tell her that the money she earns baby sitting our doing her chores is actually worthless paper that is only as valuable as a man behind a desk says it is, that even then it still is just debt that can never fully be collected because when were in a slump we just print more and in turn owe more back to a privately held bank.

How soon should i inform her that precious cell phone is capable of spying on her for the government how safe and secure would she feel then? Should she know now that when she is on facebook and other social media sites that there is more then likely government agency filtering thru all that information, but that its okay because its in her best interest? i don't think she would feel better about that.

I do already talk to her about models and tv stars and what they portray what people should look like is just a sadistic method to make people think less of themselves so they can get put on anti depressants or spend thousands of dollars on getting their bodies mutilated to be beautiful.

How about the men and women of law enforcement that have sworn a oath to protect and serve the citizens of this country, what do i tell her about them? After all the stories we here of abuse im not so sure if she needed help i would want her to call them.

I bring this up because I observe her and her friends slowly becoming another number in the flock, I watch them and wonder if they will ever wake up on their own and see thru the catchy new song on the radio that they just have to download on to their phones. Will they continue to Idolize these soulless mindless people they see on tv. Most of the shows they watch have actors that play complete idiots on the show, and they think its funny, and even scarier imitate the behavior.

How do you be honest and still leave them any security or warm and fuzzy's in their heart? How can i tell her her voice matters when in the grand scheme of things it don't. Even now she ask why i support Ron Paul and why he doesn't get a fair chance after she hears my wife and i discuss how rigged elections are, meanwhile back at school she is learning that her opinion matters and everyone has a voice and you express that voice by voting, its starting to unravel around her now! How much longer before the rest does too? How do you explain that the most important document (constitution) in the free world will soon be considered a terrorist hand book?

I could go on and on with many other topics that we come across here on ATS but i will keep it short. So i ask of you fellow parents when is a appropriate time to discuss these matters with our children? On one hand I strongly feel she needs to know and the sooner the better, on the other i don't want her to loose hope and give up on life. I dont want to know in the back of my head that i allowed her to blindly follow the flock. anyone have some words of wisdom for me?

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


You don't. Let her learn on her own through her life experience.

What if you are wrong?

Instead, as a parent, I taught my kids to be independent, how to fire a gun, how to garden, how to take care of themselves -- all while parenting, not scaring the living [SNIP] out of them.

It can be done, in the course of living.

Some people can process the information and not freak out at age 6, others still cant comprehend the information at age 80. So basically its really up to her, you can ask if she wants to hear it or start with the small stuff and build up to the more complex.

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


Let her lead you, with HER questions. Then make sure you tell her FACTS and not just your opinions. It sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders so why rush it?

Be her parent and nourish her and allow her to bring up the topics and then go from there. Children are only young once......................

i would wait till she is 16 at least whats the rush at least give her a while 18 would be a better age to turn their world upside down but do it very slowly

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


It seems to me you have learned a lot so far in your life; your daughter being 14 now is old enough to start and learn about the real world; the good, the bad and the ugly.

Share with her your knowledge now; so she can learn and be more aware about life and the many evils lurking out in the world. In telling her now; you will impart information to her; that she can use in the future and then she will be able to avoid some pitfalls in life; because you did tell her about them ahead of time.

Originally posted by seeker1963
reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY

 

Let her lead you, with HER questions. Then make sure you tell her FACTS and not just your opinions. It sounds like she has a good head on her shoulders so why rush it?

Be her parent and nourish her and allow her to bring up the topics and then go from there. Children are only young once......................

agreed truth

my daughter is 5 and asking lots of questions
i cant tell her daddy was in childrens homes in the 80s with a 14 yr old prostitute next door
and the other side a rent boy

i honestly am stuck, i dont want my daughter to know these things yet
but on the other hand is understanding, more important than having an inocent childhood

this world is going tits up and there is no denying it

reply to post by phantomjack

i feel what you are saying but how do i approach it if she is too naive, I cant just let her go on being blissfully ignorant can I?

Originally posted by phantomjack
You don't. Let her learn on her own through her life experience.

What if you are wrong?

The problem with that is everything being taught our kids is WRONG...

Children are being brainwashed and lied to in school.

Kids NEED the truth!

All of us have been influenced our entire lives by mind control propaganda.

You HAVE to realize that the older a person gets, the harder it is to "erase" propaganda.

Just LOOK at where "learning through life" has taken us.

" ...the real purposes of American education: to brainwash our children"

reply to post by seeker1963


Exactly only a child once so i don't want to rush or force it but she is also at a pretty impressionable age and i would like to open her mind to outside the box thinking before she becomes another casualty to the "norm"

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


In my opinion, if you lay all of that on her like it's fact, it's as bad as saddling her with the weight of a religion. Let her grow up on her own and take your cues from HER. There is NO need to saddle her with that information. Especially since a LOT of it is just your opinion. Let her form her own.

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY

How young is to young before you explain the real reasons you don't let her drink soda's, candy's, and other processed foods is that these companies use chemicals that are poisonous to our bodies, and that the government agency that are supposed to protect us from them don't? How about these same agencies allow pharmaceutical to produce drugs with out proper testing and often have worse side effects then the original problem

I didn't have the choice. But let me explain my own story, and my kids' story. When I was her age in 1972, I had no concept of what was going on (had gone on) in Vietnam. My parents sheltered me from all of that.

I was later bombarded by my classmates' older siblings stories about it. I was not allowed to listen to "hard rock" (Steppenwolf, Led Zep, Jimmy Hendrix, et al), and had no clue of what was going on. That was a huge detriment for me. I had to catch up as a late-teen.

My own kids were 12 and 10 on Sep 11, 01. I had just dropped them off at school, and was on my way to my first day of internship with a social work degree, when I heard the news on the radio, and was completely freaked out. When I picked them up, I asked them what they had heard about it. Their entire school knew about it, and some of the teachers had discussed it.

We have to realize that kids today have an incredible amount of information that decades ago was easily held back from kids. I advise you to ask her what she knows, how she sees the world, what she already has heard, and to talk to her as a lucid, competent young person. She can deal with it; but only if she knows about it.

Good luck. Raising kids is the hardest job in the world. Don't put on blinders and think that she's unaware....because she is. On the other hand, applaud her for working toward a future that sets those issues aside. That's "hope" and "tenacity", and who knows????? It will stand her in good stead to be aware AND to plan ahead!
Blessings!
~wild

I guess i should clarify that she is my step daughter, and i have only been in her life since she was 6, regardless of that she is my child as i am the only father she has known. So after the time it took to us to get to know each other and to be comfortable talking about important stuff with her i kinda have a rough time pointing out the small details, as with my 5 year old she does ask a lot of questions that i have been there to talk and explain to her.

Their mother doesn't even like talking to me about these things so my oldest is kinda all roses and sunshine, as her mother is what we refer to as a sheep on here. amazing women just likes her blinders on.

You don't.

If you do, she'll be another sleep walker like 80% of ATS.

Sleepwalkers: Those dangerous fools who feign an awakened state. They are driven by secret, and think themselves to know much. However, they know nothing, and are ignorant of the fact. They are dangerous to all those around them, spewing nonsense, generalizations, and quarter truths as if the pus from a diseased wound. Beware the sleep walker, for he is more dangerous than the sound sleeper.

Let your daughter use critical thought, basic analytical skill, and self exploration to discover the truth. Telling her anything will ruin her for life. Letting her discover these things will give to her, everything.

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY

i feel what you are saying but how do i approach it if she is too naive, I cant just let her go on being blissfully ignorant can I?

No, you can't. That's called "helicopter parenting". Eventually she will be out in the world, and it's better that she is aware of the outside, than to be innocent and unaware. She'll get taken advantage of, and feel out of place and out of the loop.

Just my opinion. FWIW.

I talk openly with my 13 year old about many of the things discussed here because he started asking questions first. He has seen some music videos and such that have made him think and has checked this site out since he always sees me on here.
My middle child is the same age my oldest was when he first started asking questions and not only does he not ask, he would probably wouldn't listen if I tried to talk to him.
My youngest while she has a curious nature is more sensitive and while I feel I will be able to talk to her about these things when she gets older, it would have to be in very small doses.

That said, you base your decision on your child. Can they handle the subject matter? Are they going believe anything they read on a site like this or are they going to use critical thinking skills. Are they going to reject every thing as nuts?

You know your child better than anyone else. You base your decision and your approach based on her individual personality.

Sir in my opinion you should have started years earlier . Why do I say this .
I had a very ruff child hood do to my father...I won't even get into it unless you e-mail me.
Now comes my daughter , at her age 6 my ex wanted a divorce cause she was messing with her old collage sweetheart.
She told me when are you moving out...NOT!
I work out of my home and this is my only child I had late in life...41...and it was tuff just for her to get into this world do to medical conditions of my Ex.
Anyway< I got the house,$200,00 a month child support and full custody...she would spend every other weekend with her mother.
During the divorce we were legally separated for 1 year and was never around.
My daughter at 6 years old was always asking me where is Mommy doesn't she love me any more. Well I had no choice in small doses to what was happening.
The hardest thing in my life...but I went through it too, but much worse.

Then after a year 9/11 hit! I live 50 miles from NY City...I am a Vol Fire Fighter.
As what was seeing on the TV and at this point numerals aircraft were not accounted for I whet to her school and pulled her out.
They asked me at the school why and I mention about the uncounted aircraft that were at this point hitting all over. The principle said...good Idea!
As I was signing her out their was a line behind me of parents to pick up their children.
At this time my daughter was 8 ...yes she was watching what was going down in NY and I explained it to her.

Within us being home for a hour my pager went off for Volunteers to help out in NY ...I called my mom and she came over to take care of my daughter... I had to go 343 fellow Firefighters just died!
So every day I would take the train to NY and come back in the evening...and I explained to her I was trying to save lives ...even at that age knowing her daddy was a fireman and always hanging with me at the firehouse she understood what was going on.

The bottom line is as parents we always want to protect our children but at the same time you cannot hide it all!

This year my daughter is a senior and a A+ student and a LT. in the Police cadets ...she want's a career in Law Enforcement, which she will be going to collage for.

I don't know if this helps but no you cannot hide the world from her, if you do it could hurt her in the end.
God Bless you in what you do.

reply to post by wildtimes


my childhood was some what similar in the fact that my mom, and step father later on, didn't ever take the time to talk to me about anything. In my house children were meant to be seen not heard. My opinion was meaningless and never was taught to think for myself, just conform. As soon as i was able to get out i completely let loose and destroyed any hope of doing something truly meaningful with myself. I was content with just existing, most of the time, even that seemed awfully tiresome at times. Once I was sick of everything around me and started digging is when i started to realize the real world.

I guess i just don't want her to reach a point in her life and say wtf why didn't anyone tell me about this? I try to get her to watch shows with me and documentaries to kinda rouse her interest to get her to question things, just don't seem to get me far at times.

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


My parents never pulled any punches with me, and I never did with my kids. Children are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for.

Does your child watch the news? Maybe that's a good place to start. Watching the news together almost always leads to questions. You can start "feeling out" her attitude by asking "What do YOU think about that and why?". You can follow up with "This is what I think about it and this is why".

If nothing else comes of it at least you will have spent some quality time together.

reply to post by DIRTYDONKEY


I should also add that in contrast to my parents, who told me nothing and kept me totally sheltered from the bad stuff, my now-grown daughter has told me that she completely appreciates my sharing with her the problems and issues that I have lived through. She says, "Mommy, I'm glad you told me. I've learned from your mistakes, and I'd hate it if I had no clue what happened to you, what was going on with you."

I used to discuss these issues with my classmates as we became parents: What do we tell them? Do we pretend that we never did this or that? Do we deny what the culture was like while we were coming of age?

My decision was "no.". And emphatic "NO". They can learn from you, from adults that they trust. She will still experiment, and explore: that is what her "job" is, as an adolescent. But as long as she knows that you are there, no matter what happens, or no matter what she does, and that you have experience to share with her, she'll be better off.


Worked for me. But, then again, every kid is different. You are on the right track, though, wanting to tell her the real deal, IMO. Gently, at her level of understanding, of course, but don't underestimate her ability to absorb what she's exposed to. Kids are way smarter and more savvy than is obvious. And even if she "fights" and "gainsays" you, she'll be listening. In a few years, you'll find that out.