Questioning the Win or Lose Parenting Myth - Steady Mom

Questioning the Win or Lose Parenting Myth - Steady Mom

Does a good mommy "stand her ground"?

Perspective (and a bit off topic)

Sure, I'm a bit of a bubble here and often oblivious to what people really think of the people of my faith (I didn't grow up here, but even then my friends didn't care and most all the people I knew were kind and respectful to me and my family despite our six kids and the whole zero population movement).

Still, I was a little taken aback this morning to find a link shared on Facebook by a friend of mine from work--from another part of the country and of another faith--screaming about a Mormon mother who is in hot water for using a cold shower and hot sauce to discipline her son.

I'm sure I don't know the whole story. I'm equally sure I had hot sauce put on my tongue a few times when I was a kid. Among other things that could probably get a parent tossed into jail these days. (And I was WAY less sassy than a particular child of mine.) But that's not the point.

What I thought was interesting is that people abuse their kids every day. Not ever do I read a headline that identifies the abuser by his or her religion.

"Lock her up and throw away the key!" She (my friend) said in all caps.

Hmmm. I've not seen anyone screaming on Facebook about the woman of an undisclosed religion who, just a few days, shot and killed her kids for being sassy to her.

People really do hate us. And because 'we' are some of the nicest people I know (not the only nicest and not all of us are nice, but you know what I mean), I'm always taken aback by that.

/rant

to play or not to play

Let's put the whole east vs. west thing aside and cut it down to this:

Work

vs.

Play

Go!

I've got to stop reading the news...

So here's one for you:

Good mommy?

or

Bad mommy?

South Jordan mother cited for neglect for allowing child to walk to school

McDonald's is not your mom

Did you happen to catch this today?

"You're a mom. You're their mom. Isn't it your job to tell them 'No?'"

Yes. When that's what's best for them, that's what you do. Once. Twice. One-hundred beyond infinity times.

You're in charge of what they eat.

You're in charge of how many McDonald's commercials they're seeing on TV.

You're in charge of teaching them "You can't have everything, because where would you put it?!"

What are you going to do, sue everybody trying to sell something that may not be in the best interest of your kid?

Woman up and just say "No" already.

Or again, as the case may be.

Affirmation

This from my son's college sociology class:

Time children spend with their mothers has a direct correlation to their (the children's) cognitive development...

but only if their mothers are verbally skilled.

Take a bow, ladies.

In over my head

So the 15-year-old is stuck in AP Euro class till the end of the term. She's in way over her head. Is she smart enough to pass this class? Yes. Is she willing to put in the kind of work that would be required for her to pass this class? No.

She's been bugging us to go to the library for a book she's supposed to read for class. I think it is due by next Thursday. Every time we've gone to take her she's made other plans. Finally I told her last night we were going that minute. When we got there asked her what book it was she needed. She couldn't remember the name of any of the books on the list, but she's looking for the one with the least number of pages, so had to text a friend and ask.

"A Tale of Two Cities"

Nuh-uh. If I had a dime for every time I picked up that book and put it back down again... I only finally made myself read the whole thing about 10 years ago. And I'm an English major.

Today the following e-mail exchange took place:

Me:

Hi Mr. Smith,

Could you please provide me with the list of books to be read for your AP Euro class? I want to make sure Lindsay is reading the right book for her.

Thank you very much--

Dalene

Mr. Smith:

Here's the list:

1. Candide - Voltaire

2. War and Peace - Tolstoy

3. 7 Men of Gascony - Delderfield

4. Napoleon - Schom

5. Lorna Doone – Blackmore

6. Tale of Two Cities – Dickens

7. Three Musketeers – Dumas

8. Don Quixote - Cervantes

9. Wealth of Nations - Smith

Thanks!

My fifteen-year-old...War and Peace? Candide? Don Quixote? By December 9?

Yeah, right.