The Carrot Monster

How did our parents ever survive? This is something that has been bothering me for a while. It seems like everywhere we turn, something else is deemed inappropriate or irresponsible or illegal. You can't discipline your children because you might be abusing them. Now, instead of children who respect their elders, we have children who are lazy and irresponsible who push the limits of others in their world. TV shows that were considered good family fun thirty years ago are now banned from the eyes of children everywhere.

But what amazes me most is the focus on nutrition. Have you heard that Cookie Monster is going on a diet? Instead of eating cookies all the time, he's now a health food nut. Cookies are "sometimes" food now. Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C. That's good enough for me! I want more cookies!!! Now, I grew up on Sesame Street. And I'm a healthy 130 pounds. I eat cookies pretty frequently, but I don't live on them. Any caring adult should be able to supplement that cookies are yummy, but not give in to every child's temptation about eating cookies constantly. At least it's not as bad as it sounds. Chelsea Carter wrote a great article researching the great cookie heist. At least the Monster isn't giving up totally. He's just doing what parents should already be doing... teaching their kids moderation.

Really.. what has parenting become these days? If a child throws a temper tantrum, your best bet is to take them out of the very public place you're in to discipline them. Panic over every bruise or scratch to make sure you aren't accused of child abuse. Give in to every whim so they don't ever hate you? I'm sorry, that won't happen. I can't count how many times I told my mom or dad I hated them. I also can't count how many times I got grounded for it. I'm sure it's a 100% ratio. But you know what I learned? To respect my elders. As I got older, I realized that hey, maybe my parents do know a thing or three. What a concept.

At a recent Girl Scout meeting, one of my girls was talking about her friend, saying something about how this friend was speaking very poorly about her mother. The girl in my troop was amazed at how her friend could talk like that and not be afraid of being reprimanded. At 18 years of age, she was very aware that her mother still had the power to knock her on her butt if she really wanted to. I piped in and told her to never forget it. I'm 28, and I'm sure if I ever really crossed my mother, she'd knock me flat faster than I could squeak out an "I'm sorry."

Anywho, just had to rant about that for a while. I just don't understand how our parents who were strictly disciplined (sometimes whipped with a belt!), were fed vicious lies about how cookies are anytime food from a fictional blue furry puppet, and were often told "No" by their elders ever survived. Clearly, they all have mental issues and should be locked up in asylums. Obviously, our spoiled rotten brats will make much better people, and if they don't get their way, they can just throw a temper tantrum!

Ok, I'm off my pedestal now. Oh, and by the way, Mom and Dad, Thank You. Thank you for telling me No. Thank you for grounding me. Thank you for asking where I was going, who I was going with, and when I would be back. And thank you for grounding me when I wasn't back on time. Thank you for making me read those books. Thank you for making me do my homework. Thank you for making me do things on my own and learn from my mistakes. I really appreciate it! I love you!