Little Miss Nosey

In a small town/neighborhood secrets are tough to keep and eventually you learn who you can and cannot trust with a secret no matter the level of importance or lack of it. Rumors get started and silence comes across the room just as you enter – you know by the stares they’re talkin’ about you and suddenly everyone you know becomes your friend or your enemy. The relevance of this blog has absolutely nothing to do with that kind of nosiness.

This blog is about people minding their own business and how much happier they would be as people if they wouldn’t worry themselves with something that has absolutely nothing to do with them. For example on the news earlier this week a mother of 3 could possibly serve jail time for spanking her child in public – not beating, but spanking. According to the news the family of 4 was at an event that involved a parade, they were watching the parade the 2 yr old little girl was trying to make her way into the street – any mother in her right mind would know that a 2 yr old and a 4 lane highway are a bad combination so the mother popped the little girl on her fanny. – No harm no foul and in the end the child will realize eventually that street play is not for little girls and/or boys and cars can hurt. – Some one in the crowd called the police and reported abuse! This woman was minding her own business, and trying to enjoy the festivities with her children and it just so happened that her toddler tried to get away because of all the “pretties” and goodies in the road from the parade. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Super Nanny on ABC and her tactics do work but sometimes nothing else can get a point across except spanking and in that instance, I would have done the very same thing, my child would have gotten her fanny popped.

Last evening I witnessed a mother discipline her son over dinner because he had learned a new word – “hate” and he was telling everyone and everything he hated them/it and he was very excited about it if you know what I mean. His mother had enough of it and warned him twice and the third time they took a trip to the car. – GO MOM! Nothing was said, by anyone at the table or in the restaurant - we all knew that she meant business and by the attitude of the little boy when they returned to the restaurant, he did too - the young guy was made to come back in and apologize to the entire table and the waitress. – You definitely don’t see that kind of parenting anymore.

People sue other people for the stupidest reasons and people report abuse when there is no abuse to report. If the child is bruised as a direct result of a spanking, that is one thing but when did it become the world’s business on how parents raise their children? Come on... look at the child, does he/she appear abused, are they clean and for the most part happy. You can see abuse in the eyes of a child just by looking at them. That is when something should be done before it is too late but spanking is not abuse, hitting with a closed fist on a child is. As a child and tween, and even as a teenager there were plenty of occasions that I should have gotten a spanking and didn’t but there were also those times that I got it and I did in fact deserve it. That discipline has helped to mold me into who I am and I think I turned out alright – I have morals, values, and work ethic and a clean conscience.

Most children in today’s society are spoiled and expect the world to cater to them – So sorry – not me not my child either. There are rules, boundaries and limitations. I love my daughter enough to provide her with those rules, boundaries and limitations and the consequences should they be broken. I would never do anything to hurt, damage or ruin my daughter. Does that make me a bad parent - NO it holds my daughter accountable for her actions and teaches her right from wrong in addtion to teaching her how to treat other people. The only problem I am having right now is trying to figure out how to fit the filter between her brain and her mouth because right now anything that pops in the head is more than likely gonna come out of the mouth. Juveniles in detention centers got there in my opinion by being spoiled and having everything handed to them and when the hand outs stopped they got mad and then got violent – that landed them in jail where they are getting a free ride, free cable TV, free food, free room and board, free hygiene items, free personal trainer so in the end they get what they want anyway.

If everyone would keep to themselves, stay out of everyone else’s business and leave parenting to the parents, they would be surprised on not only how much happier they would be as individuals, they would be stress free from having to keep up with who said or did what AND….. perhaps they wouldn’t be sued or judged or have the cops called on them when they did the same act as they reported to the officials in the first place. As Americans we should not have to walk on egg shells and ask permission to discipline our children. This is the land of the free for things like, freedom of speech and freedom of expression amongst other things. The last time I checked spanking is not against the law – but I am sure it will be before long if we become so scared to live. You may or may not agree with me, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, don't judge me for mine and I won't judge you for yours. - It's the American thing to do.