As I sit here and type this post for yet another What the Heck? Wednesday, I’m thinking that it’s a pretty damn good thing that I write a blog and don’t have a radio show or something like that. It’s also a pretty damn good thing that I’m not lined up to do any sort of public speaking engagements in the next couple days. (The offers keep rolling in and I just can’t seem to choose from them). And it’s also a pretty damn good thing that yesterday was my little man’s 4th birthday and that he got all sorts of cool new Playmobil toys and is completely engrossed in them this morning and hasn’t really tried to engage in much conversation with me.
Somewhere around 4:00pm yesterday, I started to lose my voice. I’m not sick, but I’m pretty sure that there is something in the air that I’m allergic to, because this is about the third time in six months that I’ve lost my voice. As much as I love Connecticut, I really think that there is a definite possibility that I’m allergic to this state. Did I mention that Bloggy Boot Camp is this weekend? Yep, that’s right. BLOGGY BOOT CAMP. The place where I finally get to meet some of my blog buddies in real life and also meet a bunch of new bloggers, learn about how to make myself a superstar (there’s a session on that, right?), and network and get some blog questions answered. Something tells me that this whole networking thing is going to be a bit tough if I can’t actually TALK to people. What the heck?
I didn’t spend much time on the computer yesterday because it was my son’s birthday and I had all my attention focused on him and the Ghost Pirates and Skull Island Play-set that we were enjoying, but I still couldn’t resist having my I-phone in close proximity so that I could check emails from time to time, etc. I recently figured out how to set up my comments so that they come straight into my email inbox. I love reading them and responding to them throughout the day. I was thrilled that I seemed to be getting such a great response from Monday’s post all about parents who let their children behave like animals in public. I was so happy to find out that I’m not the only mother out there who expects her child to refrain from belittling and bullying other kids around them, even when her child is practically exploding with energy as a result of being cooped up in the house like a chicken all winter.
Apparently not everyone shares my “Do The Right Thing” attitude. The chick who left comment number 40 certainly didn’t. What the heck?
According to little miss “SuperNanny would absolutely shit a brick if she had to deal with MY kid”, as I will so fondly refer to her, “boys like to roughhouse and if someone else’s kid gets hurt or upset it is not her problem because that’s what boys do.” She also threw in a nice little jab at the end of her comment and told me that, “if my kid can’t hack it, keep him at home.”
Keep him at home if he can’t hack it, huh? NEWS FLASH: He’s FOUR. FOUR! He doesn’t even know what it MEANS to hack it, let alone actually be able to defend himself against a NINE year old who is a foot taller than him and outweighs him by forty pounds! WHAT THE HECK???
Keeping in tradition with the lunatic that I become when someone really ticks me off, I immediately got on Facebook and Twitter to vent my frustrations about this comment. To be honest, I really only expected my closest friends and maybe a few bloggers to actually go back into my post and check out what this chick had to say.
What happened next was nothing short of awesome. SO many people had my back! I cannot say a big enough THANK YOU to all of the wonderful bloggers, in addition to friends from the non-blogger world who came to my defense and shared my sentiments in being pretty angry at this woman. I’ve always known that I have some pretty great people behind me, but I have never felt as supported as I did yesterday when the comments and emails and Twitter and Facebook posts started rolling in one right after the other in response to this nut-job. And you know what? That deserves a big HECK YEAH!
I was all set to go in and delete that nasty comment, but I changed my mind. I’m keeping it. And I’m keeping it because I think that bullying is a subject that should be taken seriously. I know that kids will be kids, and if I’m not mistaken I even stated that in my post, but if there aren’t some limits placed on children’s behavior when they are little, then what kind of examples are we setting for them as they grow into young adults? If they are taught that it is ok to push a younger, smaller, defenseless child to the ground just so that they can be the first one to go down the slide, then aren’t we pretty much giving them a get-out-of-jail free card and a perfectly good excuse for beating the crap out of another kid (or worse) in the locker room simply because he is smaller and “CAN’T HACK IT?”
I know that I may sound a little over-the-top here, but it’s because bullying is something that I worry about every day. It seems to be getting worse and worse with each generation, and I truly fear for my son’s safety once he becomes a teenager. I wonder how this woman would’ve felt if she’d been a parent who lost a child at Columbine High School. I know that example is on the very extreme end of things, but if parents don’t take the responsibility to ingrain the Golden Rule into their children at an early age, then they are just setting them up for a potential disaster down the road. And since this woman obviously has no idea what the Golden Rule is since she felt it necessary to leave such an inappropriate comment on my blog, here’s a refresher: “Do To Others What You Would Like To Be Done To You.”
In closing, I’d like to personally THANK this woman not only for reminding me what a wonderful support group I have, but also for making me even more passionate and even more confident about being a blogger. She made that comment to upset me, and it did, but it also made me feel EMPOWERED. It made me feel like I HAVE A VOICE. And people are listening…even though they can’t hear me right now!
HECK YEAH!
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((applause))
Bravo! I couldn’t agree with you more. Nuff said.
Amen!! I have it in my post and someone already said they were heading over here to check it out!
I hope you get your voice back in time for Bloggy Boot Camp!
A big fat AMEN to that!! Can’t hack it?! Give me a break…I gaurantee you mommy couldn’t hack it when THIS MB jumped all over her for letting her kid run over mine. Kids will be kids but it really grinds my bones when parents allow their children to trample all over kids that are very obviously younger and smaller than them. Hope you get to feeling better and get your voice back. Have fun at Bloggy Boot Camp. I’m going to the one in San Fran in August and I CAN’T WAIT! Have a great day friend
I missed all the brouhaha so I had to go back and read your post and all of the comments. I am TOTALLY behind you on unruly kids and absentee parents, I won’t take my daughter to the mall play area, which is FOR TODDLERS NOT SCHOOL AGE KIDS, because parents bring their 10 year olds who are so rowdy and rough and run all over my 2.5 year old while they sit across the room talking on their cell phone or otherwise not paying attention.
I definitely agree with the grandma’s comment about disciplining other people’s children. I have no problem taking a kid to task for being too aggressive with my daughter. Obviously I would NEVER touch someone else’s child, but telling them that they are doing wrong? Hell, yes. I think that is one of the things we have lost in our society. It used to be not just accepted but expected that people would discipline any kid they saw misbehaving. Which doesn’t give people license to abandon their kids to be watched by unknown strangers, it just means that in a situation like this, I think being the Mommybitch is totally appropriate.
Ten bucks says that women who teach their sons to “hack it” will also raise daughters to become the next generation of internet bullies.
May we all aspire to such greatness as allowing our children to push & allowing our fingertips on keyboards become malicious.
As for myself, my son will be a stronger man BECAUSE he can “hack it” on the playground without pushing.
Kudos to you, m’dear. & I second your “HECK YEAH.”
Hello! I am a friend of MandyP’s! just stopping by. Im following now!
I second and triple your “Heck Yeah”
Talking/Writing about our kids less then angelic moments takes a lot of honesty—-if only everyone could look at life with such honesty…things would be very different. Maybe then the bullies in our world- whether on the playground, in school rooms, or even in our adult lives would be silenced.
So glad that so many women support you and the notion that four year olds (or hey, even 9 year olds!) shouldn’t have to “hack it” in a situation that’s above their heads!
Good luck at Bloggy Boot Camp this weekend! Drink lots of hot tea with honey ’til then. I wish I was going to Bloggy Boot Camp!
You are so right. That lady is going to find herself visiting her kid in prison on Sunday afternoons in the years to come if she doesn’t wise up and do some disciplining!
Hope your voice is better soon! Drink some hot tea!
Unbelievable! Sounds to me like she is a serious “motherbitch!!” I hope you get your voice back before the weekend. Drink lots of tea with honey!!
BRAVO!! I’m so glad that you kept the comment. Your post today was spot on. I wrote about this SAME type of thing a few months back. And it’s so crazy that I had to title the post “Rumble on the Jungle Gym”. That’s how nutty some of these places can make you feel. Hope you get your voice back and have a great time at Bloggy Boot Camp!
Amen to that.
On a brighter note,
My philosophy is that the minute you start getting “hateful” and “mean” comments (and by that I mean the ones where people are really trying to be hurtful and mean) on your blog is the minute you know you must be really popular. See, so you don’t need a class on how to make yourself a superstar afterall because you must already be one ;D
You go girl!! Here is MY response to her lovely comment:
Comment #40 are the mothers of children that I steer clear from. Motherbitches at their finest and then allowing their children to hurt others?!
Maybe SHE should keep her uncontrolled child at home where HE can terrorize HER. Tell me how you would like it then. And to further my point I’m willing to bet if she got bumped into, pushed, shoved she wouldn’t have the same arrogant attitude.
Seriously. If she and her family can’t follow rules {they’re made for a reason and as a parent it is HER responsibility to see that her child follows them} then they obviously cannot hack it and should stay home.
Okay, I’m done being a motherbitch, haha!
xoxo
Oh, I forgot–I hope you feel MUCH better! You for sure need that voice for boot camp!
xo
bravo for being a responsible parent! and I hope you get your voice back in time for Bloggy Boot Camp
(stopping by from SITS)
I’m partaking in What the Heck? Wednesday again!! When will you have a link up, do you think? =)
Awesome responses from everyone. You do have a voice.
Our pastor at our old church had a great way of talking about parenting to us. Like a funnel: That when kids are little, you HAVE to hold on tight and teach them how they should act and then as they grow, you gradually loosen until you can finally let them go.
That if you try to do it the other way, giving them free reign when they are young and then imposing limits, it’s not going to work.
Ha! Thanks for this post, it brightened my day. I’m glad that you enjoyed your son’s birthday.
I decided to jump on the WTH bandwagon this week here is the link:
http://faith-simplicity.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-heck-wednesday.html it would be lovely if you had a MckLinky type delio
First let me say “You Go Girl”.
Second, I so missed that comment #40 and I tried to go back and read it, but I can’t. It shows only comments 51 and higher.
Anyway, reading the “after” comments I must say that this woman has some serious problems and she’s the one who should keep her “bully in training” at home.Her and mother’s like her are the reason why there is bullying in elementary schools.
BRAVO!!! WELL SAID! I did read your post about that incident yesterday when I found you but did not read the comments!! I thought you were such a good mommy for protecting your son and making sure the rules were being followed! I can’t imagine a person having a different opinion on the matter! I’m not as outspoken and may have pulled my child away from the situation until the other said child moved on…but I admire how you handled it!
Glad to know you are getting so much support…and I think writing aobut these situations and letting all of us get in on the conversation helps us all feel more empowered as parents…helps us know that MOST people ARE trying to do and teach the right things with their children.
Another great post.
I am behind you and everyone else that has commented. I am a person that will not tolerate bullying. I hope you get better before bootcamp.
Two thumbs up, darlin’. I agreed with your first post 100% and would also have been getting similar looks from my husband. & I hope that the person that left you that comment doesn’t live in my neigborhood, because I don’t want my kids learning from her kids.
Cheers to you!
What happened to teaching kids to respect others, and to be gentle around little ones? Gah. Maybe it’s because I have so many kids, but my big ones are always respectful and careful around littler kids. They know it’s one thing to roughhouse with their brothers and buddies that are their size, but not to maul kids who are half their age.
Just reading that comment made my blood boil. That’s how delinquents are created. Ew, it makes me want to throw-up!
I would have had your back…but I hardly ever twitter…If I had an iphone/smartphone that would be different. So, I had to go look at #40…she must live in my city because 99% of the moms here have that attitude. Remember I told you I was popular yesterday! I would replace the “H” word the the “f” word for her.
Do tell how bloggy bootcamp goes…I am on the fence for the San Fransisco one.
Ok – So, you already kow how I feel about #40, I so wish I could meet you at bootcamp (hoping to attend Philly, already attending BlogHer) and I am so glad you are a part of TMC!!! Your support is SO appreciated mama.
And I would love to know how you have the “click here” for the Mcklinky w/o all of the links showing here which makes would end up making the post so long. How did you do that?
You are so right and I’m glad you are passionate about this because I think it’s a HUGE problem with children today too! It’s people like her that make life hell for the rest of us…
I have that Golden Rule up in my mudroom right by the door, so my kids read it each time they leave the house and it reads: “When leaving this house always remember to treat people the way you want to be treated.”
I missed that whole firestorm. Stupid real life. I’m applauding you and this post.
PS Rest your voice. You will need it for you fabulous weekend! Have fun!
Way to go for leaving that comment up. That #40 attitude has got to go!
Good for you! Stand your ground and remember – you have a lot of supporters out there!
::::standing ovation:::::
I didn’t even see what happened, but I love that your friends are behind you. Isn’t the blogging community wonderful?