Tonight I was eating at Crown Burger and there was a woman scolding her toddler. She said something relatively close to the following...."If you keep leaning on your chair like that, you will fall and hit your head and you'll get really hurt and you'll have to go to the doctor so sit down and I'll buy you ice cream"....to which of course the toddler smiled and continued the behavior.
I wanted to tap her on the shoulder and point out that toddlers only have a capability of understanding sentences approximately 3-6 words in length - hence why they speak in sentences such as that.
I wanted to tell her that my undergrad degree was in Human Development and her daughter had a greater chance of sprouting wings and flying home than she did of understanding a long causal sentence like that.
I wanted to tell her that the likelihood of her daughter falling on her head from the angle she was leaning was slim to none. Approximately the same likelihood she had of getting her to stop with a corrective sentence structured like that.
Instead, I smiled at her and shrugged my shoulders along with her when she looked at me and said, "Aaahh, kids".
Yes ma'am. Kids. Learn how to speak to them before you have another.
You should have also yelled at her for making the doctor seem like a bad thing. Sometimes, you go to the doctor even when you're not sick...and you don't want your kids to be afraid of them or their office. =)
ReplyDeletePeople that write books about children usually don't have any. Until you have a baby, toddler, or a child you really don't know what works for each child. Regardless of your education you have no experience as a mother. I think as a mother your comments are offensive to all us mothers out there. We are just trying our best to bring them up healthy, happy and safe. My toddler speaks in full sentences and she understands everything I tell her. That mother knows her child better than you know her child. My daughter loves to do everything I ask her not to do. Some kids will not stop what you ask them to stop no matter how you say it. At least she did not yell or hit her child. It sounds to me like she was using positive reinforcement. I commend her for that. Just wait until you have a child and you will not be so quick to judge. The first years are the honeymoon phase. The real parenting comes when they are toddlers on up. I love you Sarah, I just think that you are not really able to judge on this one.
ReplyDeleteDear Team Allred,
ReplyDeleteClearly you need to get out more and have adult conversation if you really think that your toddler can understand you. Please seek help with your lack of parenting knowledge. I would seek professional help, someone with an EDUCATION. That means not your two year old and NOT your husband. And funny how you are so quick to judge sweet Sarah and yet insist upon her educated opinion as irrational judgement. Explain that to your toddler since she can speak in sentences I am certain she'll still struggle with the concept.
Sincerely,
A Mother of 2
Dear A Mother of 2,
ReplyDeleteI was not ever judging Sweet Sarah. I was simply saying that every child is different. You can ask your pediatrician if you are not sure of this fact. Every child reaches milestones at different times. I don't need to explain to anyone my parenting. I love Sarah and she knows that I do. My children also love Sarah. I just think that judging a mother by one situation and to say that she should think before having more kids was unfair. Come meet my toddler......than say that she does not understand me. I just know that parenting is hard enough without strangers judging you. Show me your perfect kids and perfect parenting and I will bow to you. Noone is perfect.....That was my point. Love you Sarah!
blah, blah, blah
ReplyDeletep.s. Please re-read your comments before posting. Your points are diminished by such errors as grammar and spelling and really it makes you seem unintelligibly. And yet clearly you have a real need to make your point. Please see mine; you are a real jerk to post such harsh criticism to A FRIEND.
ReplyDeleteand you are chicken sh*t because your blog isn't public. You can't even face the whole world with your own postings and yet you feel the need to vomit on other's blogs about such non-sense that you quantify yourself as an expert mother only because you gave birth. Guess what it takes more than biology to make a mother.
ReplyDeleteOkay ladies....I am officially stepping in here. I don't censor my blog and/or comments (obviously) but I think it's fair to call it a draw here and agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteAnd if God ever blesses me with the opportunity to be a mother, I will be thrilled to have lots of women around me to reach out to and ask for advice/help. If I were so lucky, I am sure I would fail many times and I would appreciate both of you giving me insight about how to be better. Hopefully that will be part of the plan someday.
Until then, thanks for being blog readers. :)