Are You Normal?
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My 3 year old says he loves the Devil
I am a Christian. I have always been one as long as I can remember. My parents are religious and always talked to us about God and read the Bible to us. So I do the same. We attend church pretty regularly, we don't feel guilty if we don't go. There are no other kids at our church, just a few really old people and us. I like to listen to acapella Christian music, but not all the time, we listen to pop and country too. I grew up the oldest of 6 girls and really am not sure what is normal for boys. My son is very much a boy. He is very very hyper. From the moment he first saw a toy car he's loved them. My concern is because he talks alot about killing. We've explained to him that it's not appropriate. He says he wants to be a policeman when he grows up so he can kill bad people. Lately he has started changing that to take bad people to jail and kill bad animals, like wolfs trying to get him. Also, we have a lot of hunters in our family, even I used to, so we get a lot of deer meat. He has begun talking about wanting to kill animals and eat them. Yesterday when he went to take a nap and I told him to have sweet dreams he said he wanted to have scary dreams. That scary dreams are good and devils are good. Sometimes he says things like the Devil is sorry for being mean to God and is going to tell God and be in Heaven with us. This morning he went on a long story about something a dream maybe, I had a hard time understanding but I heard the phrase, "I had a picture of the devil" and then something else. Then my 2 year old daughter said, "No! The Holy Ghost is good and the devil is bad." Correcting him. He disagreed with her and got upset when I agreed with her. When I asked him if he knew that God loves him he said, "Not much though." So I talked to him and he seemed to resent the talk. I read some of his children's bible to him about Jesus being born and as a child. He seemed really interested and looked at the book long after I walked off. We read it pretty often & he has it on his shelf.
I've had several talks with his daddy because he watches things like Indiana Jones & Superman with our son. He's starting to see my concern and seems to be making an effort to keep the tv on rated G stuff when the kids are awake. I have a cousin who has had 3 boys and says her boys have never talked about killing, she lives in the country too. It's embarassing and I really don't want to talk to my family. I'm not sure how normal this is. If I should be concerned. If I am doing something wrong or not.
I've had several talks with his daddy because he watches things like Indiana Jones & Superman with our son. He's starting to see my concern and seems to be making an effort to keep the tv on rated G stuff when the kids are awake. I have a cousin who has had 3 boys and says her boys have never talked about killing, she lives in the country too. It's embarassing and I really don't want to talk to my family. I'm not sure how normal this is. If I should be concerned. If I am doing something wrong or not.
Do you think it's normal?
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I don't have to be religious to know that christianity promotes essentially good treatment of people (except non-believers and gays...), where as satanism doesn't, so if you continue to act in a good and christian way, your son will see what is right - hopefully.
Now child is inherently good or bad, they learn entirely from their environment. So like the above poster, anything influencing him comes from you or people around him. He has been influenced in a negative way so far...now influence him in a positive way.
They key being influence, not tell or force. He needs to understand, not just be blindly told GOD = GOOD DEVIL = BAD.
As to the killing, at least it's killing bad guys. I don't think your son is cross wired at all. However you and I know that he shouldn't be thinking about killing at all. And although he'll probably grow out of it and it's not that big of a deal you should still work hard to teach him in his earliest years the difference between good and bad right and wrong true and false. For more info see this really amazing sight. http://www.tjedonline.com/free-article.php but first you could read this page http://www.tjedonline.com/phases/core/ and then see what articles and audios from the last one would interest you
Perhaps it's not that he loves Satan, but he misunderstood. I'm sure you told him to love god, ad mentioned Satan somewhere around there. Maybe he couldn't comprehend and thought you said to love Satan. Hope this helps.
that's probably the best thing to do
and another good thing to do is stop shoving religion down his throat, he's obviously choking.
good luck :)
you should get him an exorcism.
However I will also provide some of my own advice to try and help you - I don't think its normal for your son to think about killin and satan and death however I don't think he's disturbed or anything - he has grown up into a family of hunters - therefore to an extent it would be normal for him to think about killing animals plus unless you have brought him up a veggie then where is the meat you are eating coming from - you indicated you get a lot of deer meat - someone killed it, same with any other kind of meat - I think to bring your son up with a healthy attitude to eating meat - understanding that animals were given to us by God to be eaten and the best way to do that is to either kill them ourselves or to buy it fresh from a butcher rather than get the pre-packaged stuff from a supermarket where the chances are the animal has been kept in confined conditions causing it no end of suffering (particularly in the case of sows in spain up until a few years back!) - is perfectly normal and if you choose to bring him up a veggie then again its your choice.
As for killing people - kids are influenced very much by TV and I do not think it likely that a 3yr old understands the emotional consequences of taking a human life (that said im not sure I do and im 23!) and to talk about killing someone and actually being able to do it are two different things. However I am not saying ignore it as it is possible he has been heavily influenced by TV so if he continues to talk about killing animals or humans over the next 5 years then perhaps see a psychologist who might be able to help.
As to the whole devil issue that is a little more tricky as there can be lots of reasons why a child thinks the devil is good - these very from lack of understanding through to bad influences from society/TV. If (as im sure you have already) you explain to him what the Bible says about the Devil and teach him that the Devil and his angels are the only creatures that cannot receive forgiveness for their sins and continue to bring him up as a good Christian child so that he is fully informed and is one day able to make his own decision as to whether or not he wants to follow Christ and above all pray about it that God might protect him from nightmares but also that He might reveal to your son the truth about the Devil then I am sure he will grow up with an understanding that it is wrong to kill people and that you can't just kill all animals and eat them.
Once again a little note to the people who will no doubt jump down my throat for giving such advice - don't take this as an opportunity to debate morality/ethics/religion but rather provide sensible advice based on either your own experience or based on knowledge you have acquired elsewhere!
I respect that you may have your own beliefs in this regard but please confine your advice to fellow believers of this archaic exercise!
Christianity in itself is peaceful, but I will be the first one to say that there are so many of us Christians that truley need to re-learn that aspect.
And another thing. Don't listen to those guys who tell you to 'not shove religion down his throat.' They have absolutely no right to make that call. He is YOUR family and he is three years old. Your faith is a part of your life and the life of your family. Teaching him your faith and taking him to church is something that your family does together and is a part of your lives together. No one has the right to tell you to cut that part short. When he is older he will make his own decision anyway and when that time comes and he decides he wants to continue in that faith then so be it.
good boy!
But I think if it wasn't for you and your church he probably would not have even heard of the devil in the first place, and his ideas about killing probably also came from things you exposed him to, although I have heard similar things said by other little boys of all backgrounds.
1. I'M PRIDEFUL ABOUT MY GREATNESS
2. I COVET MY MONEY
3. I'M JEALOUS OF OLIVIA WILDE
4. I LOVE CHOCOLATE
5. I'M ANGRY AT REPUBLICANS
6. RIGHT NOW I'M LAZILY SITTING AND WATCHING TV
7. I LUST AFTER BLACK MEN
OH WAIT UR STUPID SO YOU COULDN'T READ ANYTHING I SAID. I LOVE YOUR CHILD!
Cool kid. At least he has his own opinions and isn't completely brainwashed right now.
I suggest you throw away the T.V.
Set the bible aside and read some fun children's books to him with lots of illustrations. Children's stories usually have some kind of moral so they'll come in handy.
Anyway, if I was you, I wouldn't make it a big deal. You're son is probably trying ot get your attention. That's why he became upset when you agreed with his sister.
Lay off the religious talks for a while because you don't want to turn him off to that belief system. Keep the kiddy Bible around, though, and other things like that. Maybe he'll pick them. If he does so, try to engage him in a simple, pressure-free converstion.
Reassure him that you love him. Don't react too strongly to his statements of loving the devil or wanting to kill things. He's still a baby and doesn't know what he's saying.
It's like, about the same as a kid thinking the bad guys in a movie are cooler than the good guys. In fact that's exactly what it is.
As for him saying Satan would be with God because he was sorry, I can kinda sympathize. When I was little, it was very confusing to me to hear things like "Jesus loves everyone. So should you." Little kids hear that and they start to think "Well, shouldn't I not hate Satan?" He's too young to understand the concept of good and evil. Give it time. Keep telling him the difference between right and wrong, don't focus it so much on God vs. Satan. Eventually, he'll realize what's going on.
As for the violence, part of it I think is just part of being a little boy. Another part is kinda disturbed that your kid fantasizes about killing animals and "bad people". Again, I'm not trying to offend you, but that's a warning sign of serial killers. They start out killing animals. Maybe send your kid in for some therapy.
Watch for the people who enter your home, some may seem very religious, don't let some fool you, they may have more evil than good. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have them in your home, just be careful, the wrong person can cause more problems than good. As for therapy for your child, I wouldn't either, sometimes things can be turned around for the worse and not for the good. You as a mother, what you feel or believe in your heart is best for your son, that is what you should do. Getting opinions can help, but you are in the situation, noone else is. Yes, like I said tv can cause problems for satan to enter your home on different things you watch, throwing out the tv is stupid, you can let him watch something that God has made on the tv. Besides,just because you would get rid of the tv, doesn't mean that your son can't learn something or see something somewhere else.Satan is an influenced spirit. He wants people to be miserable and go against God. We all have only 1 God and that's the Lord above.Some people believe that there isn't a God and I don't understand that. All anyone has to do is look around and see what they have, it all comes from God. God gives you food, a home, clothes , nature, laughter, love, faith and so much more. Some say that they all bought things with money, who gave the money? God can take it all away. Some people think there isn't a satan, if there isn't, there wouldn't be so much hate and crime and disobedience to God throughout the world; there would be peace and love. So, I say to you is: May our Lord God help you through this trial and to overcome this problem. Give you guidance and faith in Him. Without God, you can't do it. He is our Father and friend. He loves you and your family. I pray for comfort through your trials and that God will enter and remain with you and your family and the angels will surround you all.Your son may be 3, he may know more than what you think. When I was a child, when I felt that something was wrong or something was near that wasn't supposed to be, I prayed that satan would get behind me in Jesus's name, amen. It has helped me and I have passed that on the my children. Maybe that will help you also. May God be with you!
HAIL SATAN!
You should fear him as he is atleast 6 inches taller than the regular devil and rides on his badapass flying hog!
Mommy, as a true follower of Christ, I suggest you go to the Bible. Don't let ANYONE tell you what to do. Let God. He will show you. The Bible has ALL our answers. Truly they are all there. Pray and fast. No this is not good and you know it. You don't need to post something on this site to ask others what they think. your spirit already told you. Have faith. Trust your gut. You know what you have to do already. I know you do! God knows your heart and He knows your little boys heart. Pray!
These are judgments not made by God. That said, the child learned of the Devil through your preaching. You can't tell your family because they preached. You tell us because you aren't getting answers from God. The child talks about eating the animals he kills, and it frightens you. But when you actually do it, you call it "hunting".
If he thinks the Devil is sorry, at least he understands remorse. He's not old enough to know what real evil is, let alone the fact an evil person has no remorse. He knows at least that bad exists, and at least he's not going around saying he wants to kill "good guys". He is demonstrating that he has been taught forgiveness. He thinks it's "good" to forgive. He's learned it from SOMEWHERE. He's too young to know how to use it.
Wolves are meat-eating carnivores, and they hunt. Being wary of them might be considered "normal". You're not sure, but your husband "seems to be" making an effort to keep the TV on G rated programming. You'd throw the TV out but you and your husband enjoy it too much. You'd turn it off but how else will you be able to keep the child busy while your husband can't?
When you think TV is a bad idea, you throw more Bible at the child, compounding the problem further by mixing dogma with reality while he's in the midst of not knowing the difference. This is harmful for his development. Perhaps he doesn't understand why God teaches us to forgive everyone and yet not all is forgiven by God. This confusing concept is one that even adults can't agree upon.
If you want your child to see the difference between good and bad, give his obviously keen perception a chance. First, acknowledge his sensitivity to his surroundings. Second, acknowledge your own. The concern that lies in your writing has more to do with the Devil than the fact he's trying to do the right thing because he's been taught love and forgiveness by a book rather than by real-life example.
When he does something good or kind, it's not hard to reward him with acknowledgment. Any form of acknowledgment is still attention, and I guarantee he's looking for it. Affection is also a kind bonus.
If you take something away that you think is harmful or wrong, replace it with good. Don't leave a void; you can't stop time. Show him things in every day life that are good in himself and other people. Eventually, he'll know how to treat people and respect himself because of the goodness he sees around him, and not what was read to him in a book.
And if you want him reading something, how about starting off with a children's book, something he'd actually understand. The Bible raises too many questions, especially for a child his age, and unless you are smart enough not to have to come on isitnormal.com to handle the repercussions of teaching him things that you can't even explain to yourself, I'd just drop it altogether until he's old enough to demonstrate an interest in it.
Children's books haven't had wars fought and blood shed over them, women slain acrimoniously by so-called "witch hunts", or extreme politics intermingled with them. And besides being good, whether the Devil exists or not, there will always be a real-life example of him through some of the people he will need to be aware about.
I know for a fact that there is nothing wrong with this child. He is responding how any normal, inquisitive, imaginative child would respond to an abnormal parent who can't or won't question anything they teach. I don't think it's that bad a thing he's afraid of wolves. And as for some good reading material for a normal 3 year-old child, might I suggest starting with "Little Red Riding Hood."
about god d jesus and tell him how great he was.
I just want to say that my son is completely normal. After being a more seasoned mom (understanding him more when he speaks) and spending more time around other boys his age I see that it's completely normal for:
1) a 3 year old to love everyone, especially if they love God and they've heard that God wants us to love everyone too. My own father reminded me of a time when he caught me laying on the bed daydreaming when I was about 6 years old. He asked me what I was thinking about and I told him that I was praying for the devil to love God, because I felt sorry for him not knowing what he was missing out on. So I think it's normal for a kid to want the devil to change and become a good guy.
2) a boy who grows up in the country where killing and eating your own food is not only common, but necessary to look forward to the day when he gets to go hunting with his Papa.
3) a child who has been read "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Jack and the Beanstalk" among other CLASSIC CHILDREN'S stories that tell of the bad character being killed, to think that bad guys are supposed to die when they hurt good people. So we talk about the moral of the story more than we used to.
My son is sooo loving and makes me proud every single day or his awesome life. He tells me regularly that he loves God more than me or anyone else in this world and that makes me so proud of him. He is not going to grow up and become some detriment to society. In fact, I believe that he is an asset to our world.
So many days I've read the responses and thought, "I wish I would have never written my story." I was so scared of not being a good mom that I was hoping anyone could give me some good advice. I came to the wrong place, for the most part.
I HOPE, THOUGH, THAT SOME OTHER NEW MOM WHO IS UNSURE ABOUT HERSELF, NERVOUS, AND INSECURE CAN FIND THIS STORY AND MY FOLLOW UP AND FIND COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT THERE IS NOTHING BUT GOOD IN TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT GOD. I HOPE THAT I CAN GLORIFY AND HONOR GOD IN SOME WAY. AND I HAVE LEARNED A VERY VALUABLE LESSON FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND THROUGH MY SON. THAT GOD DOES LOVE EVERYONE, INCLUDING A NOBODY LIKE ME, AND BECAUSE OF THAT I LOVE HIM AND EVERYONE OF YOU TOO. I PRAY FOR YOU SO OFTEN. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL IN HEAVEN. I REALLY DO. I LOVE YOU!!!!
this is what i think: your son is 3 years old, which makes him totally impressionable. obviously he didn't come up with this devil stuff on his own. he probably heard something or saw something that made a lasting impression on him. could even be your pastor in church mentioning the devil all the time in his sermons or something.
i'm not christian, i'm an athiest myself. but you really shoud watch what you say and what is said around your child, don't let him watch shows with any violence in them, and stop mentioning the devil around him.
another thing, u say your family are hunters, so why are u surprised that he sais he wants to kill animals? u obviously do. children respond to their enviorement, its perfectly natural. u should make sure his enviorement is positive in all ways.