Friday, September 14, 2018

Yom Kippur with Non-Davening Teen

We are at a stage in chinuch where my teen does not daven.  I wonder if this is something in my parenting because my first teen also stopped davening from age 14-21. (likely not, though.) 

The question is what to do about shul.  What to do about shul on the Yamim Noraim.  On Rosh Hashana she came to shul for shofar on the first day.  I told her to bring the book (by a neurologist who had experienced a stroke) and she sat next to me in shul, and I leaned over and pointed out interesting quotes as they struck me.

Both days were rainy and as we had not set up her sunlamp on a timer and as it is extremely painful for her to get out of bed so early, especially with no sunlamp, we agreed that she had gotten enough out of shul the first day and she slept through shul the second day.  (We hold, by the way, a fairly unusual psak that women are not chayav in shofar because of מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא.  I learned in high school that yes, women are officially patur, but have taken it upon ourselves, and we are chayav. But my Rav holds differently.  Not that this would have necessarily made a difference in my decision to not push a teen.  More on this as the blog goes on over the years, G-d willing, and I have a bunch of teens to raise and not push.)

I asked her what her Yom Kippur would look like if she wasn't taking me and my wants into consideration at all.  She finds the lack of technology for so many days in a row very difficult.  She doesn't like fasting.  Doesn't find meaning in shul. 

She said she'd like to stay home and read all day. 

With a bit of coaxing, she agreed to come to shul at night.  Ordinarily, I wouldn't go for the night.  But she has always been a night owl and functions better at night.  Shul will be less crowded and she will be more alert and in a better mood. 

I also found someone who needs a bit of company on Yom Kippur day.  So when she wakes up, she will visit with them, and do a bit of chessed and keep herself occupied in a pleasant manner.

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