Anna grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family as part of the Quiverfull movement. She and her 6 siblings were not allowed to attend school and were very isolated from the outside world. Everything about her childhood was strictly controlled, from the clothes she wore to the media she had access to. She was expected to teach herself from primarily religious texts as well as teaching and caring for the younger children. Her future was laid out for her as a submissive wife and mother to many children.
She left at 19 with help from family. Starting life in a very unfamiliar world with little education was daunting but also thrilling. 7 years later she's still sifting through memories, she makes videos on TikTok (@spookypatootie) recounting her experiences and has found that many other folks grew up in similar circumstances. Many kids are undoubtedly still in that situation and Anna hopes she can raise awareness and play a part in helping others.
In this second half of Anna's conversation with Rachel, she reflects on the erosion of the relationship with her mother and explains how her homophobic beliefs became the catalyst for Anna's departure from home and the Quiverfull movement. Anna shares some of the many difficulties she experienced trying to find her way in a world she was inherently ill-equipped to navigate. Throughout the discussion, Rachel points out some of the common struggles of those who were not raised with the basic life skills the general population takes for granted.
Before You Go: Rachel offers some advice on defining "normalcy" for people leaving restrictive groups for the first time and explains how others can be an invaluable resource to those struggling to thrive in an unfamiliar world.
Find Anna's amazing work on TIK TOK here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@spookypatootie?
Find Rachel's book "Now I Know, Kids Talking To Kids About Divorce..." here:
https://www.amazon.com/Now-I-Know-Rachel-Bernstein/dp/1620867893
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