Extreme parenting

*Disclaimer* This post is solely of my opinion, and a bit of a rant. If your offended I am sorry, and if you don’t like it don’t read it!

So the other night there was a 20/20 episode on with Barbra Walters “Extreme Parenting” and since my nights lately involve very little sleep I stayed up and watched it. In case you did not see it, she was interviewing parents that in the public eye would be considered extreme, such as the dad who shot his daughters laptop with his .45 because she posted some quite disrespectful stuff to Facebook. As well as some other parents who take things to the “extreme.” I must be behind the times or something or maybe I was raised by one of these extreme parents??? All I saw was parent’s BEING parents, but in today’s world it is quite rare, like so rare you have a better chance of seeing a Bigfoot than a parent saying “NO” to their kids! Am I claiming I am parent of the year, in no way shape or form! Have I screwed up somewhere along the line, of course I have and will probably make many more mistakes! But that is part of being a parent. There are far too many out there that just take the easy road, letting their kids to what they want when they want. They say “oh, they’re just being kids” when in fact they are running wild. It is easy to turn your head the other way and not deal with them. Many times I would rather turn my head and not deal with my kid having a temper tantrum because I told her she can’t have something, but what does that teach them. Would it be less of a scene in a grocery store to say yes to every “mommy I want this”, sure it would! Now before you all think I am some hard ass drill sergeant mom, I am not. I believe that kids should be kids, have fun but they also need to learn responsibility, respect and have rules. Why? Because it will help them become responsible respectful adults who will be an asset to society not a drain on the system. In our house we have fun but we also have rules.

We all have received email forwards about how life was back in the day, ya know the ones about playing outside till the sun went down, riding in cars with no car seat or seat belt, and TV having only 3 channels (if you were even lucky enough to have TV). Well this brings me to my next rant (which pretty much goes side by side with parenting). How many parents have you heard say they feel overwhelmed by the amount of work a kid is and life is too hard and stressful? Really? Did you really think having a kid is easy? So what do we do in today’s world, we give a “happy” pill so life feels better! And what about little Johnny who just can’t focus or has a little too much energy? Oh, he gets a pill too to “treat” his ADD or ADHD. This stuff hardly existed 20 years ago! Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying there are not real medical reasons and diseases out there that need help and medication. Without today’s technology and medicine there are a lot of people who would be suffering. But let’s take a real hard look at the world now compared to um “back in the day!” Lifestyles are extremely different I get it, and it’s not the 1950’s anymore. But today’s children are out of control, drugged and obese because it’s too hard to tell them no! I don’t think so. Turn off the damn TV’s, computers, i-thingy’s, video games and put forth a little more energy! Be involved with your kids, learn how to set boundaries, provide healthy food options, get outside, play and be active!  

You may be wondering why I feel the need to rant and rag on parents? Maybe it’s the raging pregnancy hormones on overdrive, but I would say a good 90% of it is how blown away I am at some parents, kids and society. Like I said, maybe I am behind the times or maybe it’s because I was raised different. When kids come to play at our house and ask "what’s that?" (pointing to a chore chart) when it’s explained to them the oddest look comes across their face and they tell me “oh I don’t have to do that, my mom and dad let me have what I want!” Or when my doorbell rings at 9pm and there is a child asking if mine can play and I tell them no because it’s after bedtime and my kid is already asleep, they tell me “I don’t have a bedtime.” The parents haven’t the slightest clue where their kids even are. Back to obesity and hyperactive disorders, take a look at what your kid is eating. Candy, cookies, chips are not a snack, vending machines in schools with options of sugar or more sugar is not ok, nor is school lunches over loaded with unhealthy over processed food and a drink option  is juice or chocolate milk. Could this be the cause of some problems? Well duh, it’s not rocket science, come on people, let’s get real!

It’s easy to turn your head the other way and just accept that’s how things are and spout off a dozen excuses of why you don’t do anything about it. Well I don’t find it acceptable and I am one of those moms that others may find annoying, overbearing, full of rules and pushy! Call me “extreme” I call it parenting!

By the way, thank you to my mom, step-dad, dad & step-mom for being an “extreme” parent! I may not have liked it as a kid but it has taught me to be the adult I am today and I hope that makes you proud!