I'm not really a ranting type of person in real life. Honestly, I'm not. This is my healthy therapy space where I can write about what ticks me off about other mothers, rather than having it rolling about in my head like a boiling vat of snakes.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Mothers who ... let their daughters wear short shorts

... because it makes my own daughter want them.  However I refuse to buy them.  Why should I let her walk around with most of her legs, and a good part of her rear end, exposed?  She is A KID.  Not a woman by any stretch of the imagination.  Please dress kids like kids!


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Mothers who ... supervise their kids homework after the age of 10

A conversation I had with a known control-freak, helicopter, anonymous mother:

(Me) 'M has got woodwork this semester.'

(OM) 'Oh, we've got sewing.  You wouldn't think that was hard, but it is.'

'Is that right?'

'Oh, yes.  I have to run around and get the material, then measure it up for C.  The homework assignment was excruciating.  I spent forever on that.'

'You did?'

'Yeah, it took a whole weekend.  Next semester's worse though.'

'Why?'

'We've got metalwork!'

We've got metalwork?  I spent forever on that assignment?  Maybe I'm a bit traditional, but I let my children do their own assignments and homework.  I offer to help, and perhaps I'll scan my eye over them occasionally to make sure they're answering the correct questions and not basing an entire essay on Minecraft.  But that is the extent of it.  I felt guilty when the OM said this, then went on to explain where her kids were at with various assignments, and how overloaded they were with homework, yada yada yada.  But my guilt lasted for about a nanosecond.  I'm pleased my kids can do their own homework, at their own pace, without me breathing down their necks all the time.  That is a vital skill, and I can't help wondering what C. will do in the workplace when he gets there without such a skill.  Mother can't be there all the time ... can she?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Mothers who .... are not afraid of bragging openly


Oh, my kids love fruit and veggies too.  They eat them all day!  Give them a choice between an Easter egg and a carrot stick, they choose the carrot, every time!  In fact, it's hard to get them to eat anything else!   Can you believe it ... I've bringing up an all-organic, chicken-nugget-snubbing snob without even trying.  Go stick that in your face, other mothers!


Thursday, March 1, 2012

Mothers who ... think their kids are the best, and think everyone else should, too

I sympathise with this one, I really do.  But you all know you're not right out there, because it is my kids that are the best, OK?  Don't even try to claim otherwise.

What peeves me sometimes is that parents feel that everyone else should indulge their children the same way they do.  For example:


Now, you know the sort of kid this mother is describing.  He's the one who runs around unrestrained and unnoticed (or even worse, encouraged) by his parents, staring at other people, interrupting whatever they're doing, and generally expecting to be number one with everyone in his vicinity.  But according to this mother, he just wants what he wants.  NOW!  And she doesn't want to stop him because that's when he gets pissed, and we can't be involved in discipline in a public place, can we?

Note to this mother: I like kids, but I don't want to have to have anything to do with yours unless I choose to.  I don't care if he gets pissed if I don't make funny faces at him as he so clearly wants me to do.  I am not your child's entertainer or babysitter!  Thank God.  And another note: if hell does break loose, be kind enough to remove him from my earshot.

Thank you.