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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder to what extent you impose your views on your kids...if at all?

66 replies

malificent7 · 23/05/2018 14:50

Or perhaps I should rephrase this as 'to what extent do your kids share your views?

Some people's quite young children are already certain they support mum and dad's political party of choice. I heard someone's under 10 say they weren't a royalist as mum wasn't.
The same goes for football teams... Support for a club often runs in families.

Also vegetarians....do your kids also support vegetarianism or make up their own minds?

On the flip side I know a staunch vegan who is 8 whereas mum and dad are not.

As much as i try to influence dd such as supporting Liverpool or a political party she is determined to do the opposite or find her own way...this is fine with me as I admire her strength of character although I definately challenged any anti gay sentiment.

Religion is another one.

I'm not wanting to start a bitch fight here but to what extent do we or should we influence our kid's views?

OP posts:
EnglishGirlApproximately · 23/05/2018 20:10

I’m trying believe me! He’s at an age where being like his friends is important to him so it’s just finding the balance between allowing that without him being influenced too much.

ChevalierTialys · 23/05/2018 20:15

My partner "accuses" me of turning my nephew into a feminist. I make a point of thanking him for the compliment every time he mentions it.

VioletCharlotte · 23/05/2018 20:17

I'm pretty left wing/ feminist/ vegetarian. I do try and impose my views on my two teen DS (because I'm right, obviously!Grin)

Joking aside, I encourage them to discuss their views and will challenge them, but ultimately it's up to them to make up their own minds. My main objective is to get them to think critically and be open to other people's viewpoints.

UrgentScurryfunge · 23/05/2018 21:05

Having taught RE, I'm well versed in "some people believe... and some people believe...." At present (7) he's quite into Christianity. We go to church most months and he finds religion interesting at school. I talk about other religions too. He did build a Duplo Ka'baa surrounded by pilgrims once Grin He's quite a critical, analytical thinker by nature so he's got plenty of food for thought to make up his own mind as he develops.

We are omnivores, but things like what meat is is no secret. DH is familiar with the meat industry and meat production has been discussed openly.

I'm a floating voter and my defaults are fairly central, but the details will depend on the context of the actual vote. He's been talked through the process of voting. Most recently the clerks added in details about cross checking their lists etc Smile
He then came home and announced to DH that I voted for the top box and DH knew who I voted for!

He watches things like Newsround so forms opinions on that. He strongly believes in greater regulation of US gun laws. I have talked to him about the historical context of why they have different attitudes and rules to the UK.

I'd be happy if he had a similar world view to me... but only if it was critically thought out with consideration of other ideas Wink
I don't want him to regurgitate my view because that's what you do. Fortnunately there has been a local political change against the inept, corrupt wankbadgers in charge of our council over recent years, and it was truely depressing watching them get back in purely because they represented a particular party that generations in that area have always voted for.

The morning when the Leave vote was announced was interesting... Lots of regurgitating of "my dad says" (insert uninformed predictable cliché)

Metoodear · 23/05/2018 21:11

My mil clearly didn’t she is hardcore racist I am black and sil is Asian 😂

Metoodear · 23/05/2018 21:15

I not a lefty think it’s horse shit and a cautious feminist also am a royalist

I think the world owes you nothing helping your self and not expecting hand outs

He always listened to talk radio before bed so he has some strong opinions and we agree on some issues and not on others

So try and Instill this is my kids

Jamiefraserskilt · 23/05/2018 21:39

My eldest likes the same music as his dad (all the latest bollocks) but as I did most of his early years care, he was subjected to the way of the Skynyrd, the art of the d.i.s.c.o and a fair dose of AC\DC. Although he moans for me to turn it off the car radio, I caught him singing and shimmying to "Ring my bell" by Anita Ward the other day so I guess early years training in 70's sounds rubbed off a bit. Everything else is researched obsessively until views and opinions on both sides are known, then he makes up his own mind.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 23/05/2018 22:08

jamie I forgot about music! I must confess I do heavily influence DS6 musical taste and I thought I was doing a good job until he sheepishly admitted he likes Little Mix Shock

Lethaldrizzle · 23/05/2018 22:16

Little mix have some right fun singalong tunes. Surely you want your children to have broad tastes, not just your tastes. It can't all be 'serious' music. There is room for contemporary pop music in everyone's record collection or down loads Wink

Onlyoldontheoutside · 23/05/2018 22:34

My dd14,gets annoyed at other kids at school,she says that discussions start about religion ,politics and they profess a belief but don't seem to know any good arguments for or against.
She say that is because I don't tell her what to think but give her all the information I have and we look up the things I don't.
I am an omnivore she is vegetarian,she is undecided politically but doesn't support the 2major parties and I think would vote Green if we had a candidate.She has watched the news enough to get tactical voting.I have indoctrinated into her that she must vote when she's old enough.She thinks 16 yr olds should be aloud to vote as things affect their future even though I pointed out that her school friends would vote what their family voted but she thinks they wouldn't bother voting.
She thinks she is not influenced by her dad or me,she obviously is but I hope we give her the room to find out for herself.
I don't play a lot of music and has slightly shocked me by having classical music playing when she does homework!

peoplearemean · 23/05/2018 22:43

My daughter attends a C of E school (because all the schools by me are C of E there is no choice!) last year she was coming home very brainwashed and spouting a lot of bible / Jesus / God points of view from school. I gently pointed out each time "not everyone thinks that. Daddy doesn't think that but Grandma does you can think what you want" etc and she used to get quite angry about it. All of a sudden has turned 180 and now says she doesn't believe! Maybe I have influenced it who knows?!

Echobelly · 23/05/2018 22:54

DS is 6 and still basically a Minion, so he doesn't really have opinions on anything yet, though perhaps contrary to our feminism he still thinks girls are yucky and when his sister (9) talks about there being not enough female characters on kids TV and stuff like that, he moans that it's 'not fair' to have more girls. Funny, cos there are men 30 years older than him who basically say that when women ask for more than the tiny bit of whatever they have! Grin

DD is very feminist, so feminist it's getting slightly tiring because she is getting very aware of the imbalance everywhere and wants to put the world to rights! I hope this suggests she has her late great aunt's crusading zeal (my aunt was a journalist who exposed corruption and fraud in the finance world) and we're pleased about it.

We are practicing Jews and the kids go to a Jewish school, but we practice Judaism, like many, much more as a cultural tradition than a 'faith', so we're not expecting them to 'believe' anything, DD decided there was no such thing as God a few years ago and we don't disagree!

Babdoc · 23/05/2018 23:08

I'm a Christian, my DD is a Buddhist, I'm a meat eater, she's a vegetarian, I'm a Conservative, she's a Communist. The only thing we have in common is feminism. I raised my kids to think for themselves and it seems to have worked rather too well! But I hope they find their way back to a loving communion with God when they're older. I was an atheist until I was 35, so I still hope and pray for them.

DioneTheDiabolist · 24/05/2018 01:39

DS is exposed to a lot of different beliefs. Therefore he has a lot of questions, many more than I could answer on my own.Blush So it appeals to my laziness for other people to answer them for him.Grin

We talk about stuff. I tell him what I believe. He has what he believes and that's ok too. I teach him that it is possible for people to believe different things and still love each other and respect each other and appreciate the other's contribution. I ask him to look at the evidence. And then question it.

It's challenging to say the least!

Audree · 24/05/2018 03:56

Yes I impose my values on my kids; whoever thinks they’re not is lying to themselves.
I think however that around 14 yo kids start to question them and they either end up adopting our views or turn 180 degrees against them.
This is how it should be; they need to reflect on these values before they make them theirs.

bumbleymummy · 24/05/2018 06:17

Most people will have their children eat meat or not eat meat according to their views.

Most people will raise their children in their own religion.

I’d say everyone imposes their views on their children in one way or another.

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