driving home last night i caught a small bit on npr about memphis, tn mother who made her daughter wear a sign listing her bad behaviors.
that is my kind of parent. seriously. she loves her child and is willing to go off the beaten path to get her child’s attention. that mom knows that the world is a scary place that will eat people alive and she must arm that child with the necessary tools in order for her child to survive.
my mom gave all of her daughters this, the ability to survive no matter what. she made mistakes and some times went over board but in the end we are three strong women that are survivors.
more than once my mom reasoned if she were to make us dependent people it would be an injustice. what if all of the people we became dependent on were to just disappear or die?
i firmly believe that creating dependency in our children (obviously this doesn’t apply to infants and young children) can do more harm than good in the long run. the desire to always have them with you forever is strong but they must be armed with tools to get them through life. that is another example of my “if you love something set it free” poem that i try to live by.
there are things to be learned by animals. most animals teach their kids how to get food and how to protect themselves and then the parents move on. these are all instinctual drives within animals that they just follow to keep the cycle moving.
on the radio show, they actually called and spoke to the mother and then the daughter. the daughter admitted she was embarrassed but that the “punishment” was a good lesson for her and she is planning to change her behavior.
i like it for the non-violence (neither of our children have ever been “spanked” or “hit”). the mother was creative and took the time to carry out her plan. the daughter not only realizes her offense, but is being made accountable by carrying the sign and admitting her behavior to other people.
i have always known that in order to get the attention of people, you must color outside of the lines, and use the element of surprise. you must be creative.
i support this mother and i know had my mom thought of it, she would’ve done something similar. as will i if the opportunity arises.
Posted by leah 
