parenting question, sort of
So, I co-parent my 8 year old high-functioning autistic son with my ex. When we were together, we had the same religious/spiritual views...but over the last year or two, her views are changing. I'm totally cool with that and kudos to her for feeling so strongly about something. However, when we had our son, we both agreed that it's not our right to impose our beliefs on the kid. I have always given him a well-rounded view of religion/spirituality, citing what Christians, Catholics, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Pagan, etc. believe about any particular spiritual/religious question that comes up. I want him to believe in something because he believes in it, not because he's told to believe it...if that makes any sense.
Anyway....lately, my ex and her friends have started showing my son videos, etc. about spiritual beliefs that I do not hold. Again, that's fine with me and I am fine with him experiencing all different types of spirituality. However, they are presenting these ideas to him as the one and only truth/facts. THIS, I have a problem with. He comes home to me and starts explaining things he's heard over there or videos he's seen as if they were scientific truths, lol, and I am having a really hard time with this. I am trying really hard not to just say, "That's a bunch of baloney, don't listen to them!" but I want to explain to him that this is not what everyone believes and I in fact do not believe these things, but if he decides he does, that's okay with me. I just want to make sure he knows it's a choice, that this isn't the one and only truth, the things he's hearing over there aren't universal fact...know what I mean?
Do you have any ideas on how to explain this to him without saying his other mom is a crazy wacko? LOL :)
I've purposefully left the spiritual beliefs in question out of this conversation, because it's not about which belief is correct or isn't correct, not at all. WHAT we both believe isn't the issue. It's presenting ideas to my son as facts that I and many other people in the world do not believe and figuring out how to explain it to him. Thanks :)
Anyway....lately, my ex and her friends have started showing my son videos, etc. about spiritual beliefs that I do not hold. Again, that's fine with me and I am fine with him experiencing all different types of spirituality. However, they are presenting these ideas to him as the one and only truth/facts. THIS, I have a problem with. He comes home to me and starts explaining things he's heard over there or videos he's seen as if they were scientific truths, lol, and I am having a really hard time with this. I am trying really hard not to just say, "That's a bunch of baloney, don't listen to them!" but I want to explain to him that this is not what everyone believes and I in fact do not believe these things, but if he decides he does, that's okay with me. I just want to make sure he knows it's a choice, that this isn't the one and only truth, the things he's hearing over there aren't universal fact...know what I mean?
Do you have any ideas on how to explain this to him without saying his other mom is a crazy wacko? LOL :)
I've purposefully left the spiritual beliefs in question out of this conversation, because it's not about which belief is correct or isn't correct, not at all. WHAT we both believe isn't the issue. It's presenting ideas to my son as facts that I and many other people in the world do not believe and figuring out how to explain it to him. Thanks :)