By Alejandro Leon
Lexi Bigler, 12, of DeForest, burst into tears recalling the July 2021 murders of Bart and Krista Halderson, who had lived a block away from her home.
The stream of tough topics for parents to explain can feel unending: violent crimes, social unrest, natural disasters ... the pandemic. Many children and teens have struggled to process what they see at school, in their neighborhoods and on the news.
While the entire Bigler family was heartbroken by the local tragedy, Lexi, who already struggled with anxious thoughts, grew afraid to walk in their neighborhood. For years, the Biglers’ designated family time, every Wednesday evening, has helped create a relaxed atmosphere to tackle those tough topics.
“Overall, I do not like talking about my feelings, but during family [night], I think it’s a good time to talk about them,” Lexi said.
The Biglers said the articles featured on the homepage of jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, have been invaluable to their weekly family discussion hour. “Anytime that we had to deal with [an issue], something in the media, a tragedy or COVID, we would look at jw.org, and there it was — the article we needed for the situation,” said Lexi’s father, Nate Bigler. “It gave us practical suggestions on how to handle it.”
In an ever-changing and challenging world, experts recommend regular family discussions to help young ones build resilience.
“Good communication is essential for a child’s survival in this world,” said James Wright, a California-based family counselor and conflict resolution mediator. “Why not have a family discussion once a week and talk about what’s going on in your lives?”
The Biglers are not alone in holding to a set time to have family discussions. For nearly two decades, families of Jehovah’s Witnesses like theirs around the world have been encouraged to make “family worship” an uninterrupted weekly routine.
“For many of our families, their weekly discussions are among the most important hours of the week,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “It has brought thousands of our families closer together and helped children feel safe and loved.”
In hurricane-pummeled New Orleans, the Andrades address safety concerns with their two sons during their regular family worship night.
“On one of our family nights, we were able to put our emergency go bags together and practice what we would do if we were to get separated during a natural disaster,” said mom Ashley Andrade, who safely evacuated with her family before Hurricane Ida uprooted trees and downed power lines on their street.
Her family strengthened this routine in 2009 when Jehovah’s Witnesses reduced their midweek meetings from two to one, freeing up an evening each week for families to enjoy such time together.
“Meeting in large groups for worship is a Bible command, but the Bible also tells parents to make time to talk with their kids,” said Hendriks. “The change to our weekly meetings helped families to prioritize unhurried Bible discussions tailored to their needs.”
For the Cariagas of Lomita, California, their weekly discussion provided a time to promptly address racism when their three girls saw news reports about hate crimes targeting their Asian community.
“The articles on jw.org about prejudice and the video about anxiety were really helpful,” said mom Lorrie Cariaga, referencing free resources on the website, where they often turn for practical and scriptural solutions to family concerns.
Along with serious topics, the Cariagas mix in singing, dramatic performances, and hiking in their family worship together. “Family time is like an open space; it’s relaxed, and it’s always fun,” said Sophie, 14.
The Biglers, too, look for ways to keep their family night lively. “Nate created his own Bible board game for us to play,” said Lexi’s stepsister, Taylor Christopherson, 16. “That was really fun.”
More information on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including resources for parents to help their children deal with disturbing news, can be found on jw.org.
