I am a big fat OGRE – just ask my kids!
By madcowShrek is an obese ogre who is endangering kids …
… is the title of an editorial by Susie O’Brien, in today’s Herald Sun.
I read the article with interest on so many levels … as Mum (who is a big fat ogre, just ask my kids) and as someone with a background in health. Not just any health, but preventative health, on all levels: physical, physchological, emotional …
I’m also a realist. And a business woman.
I know how business operates and know that, in order to keep a buisness functioning and hopefully make a living out of it, you pull out all stops … but that’s for another post (coming soon!)
I also seem to have something that lots of other Mums don’t, from what I can gather in the article: the ability to say “No” to my children.
I don’t have the issue that Susie is commenting (complaining?) about -
As a parent I do say no when my kids pester me for fast food. I say no to them again and again and again.
Most of the time their pestering doesn’t work. For every trip to McDonald’s there’s at least half a dozen failed attempts on their part.
But why should I have to have an argument with my kids thanks to the pester power of some 3c throwaway plastic toy that comes with a cup of fries?
My kids just don’t ask. I won’t say “never”, because they did ask twice.
They stop asking when I stick my fingers in my ears and say “LA LA LA LA LA NOT LISTENING”
They know they’re not gonna get it, regardless of the number of times they ask.
Lets look at this realistically from a child/parent perspective, and forgot the big business stuff for the moment.
Kids whinge! They ask the same thing repeatedly! They know the answer will be “no” but they ask anyway!
It is in a child’s very nature to do these things. Child psychologists will tell you its seeking boundaries and they want you to say no, others will say they’re testing you, or know your weakness and pray on it, or just that kids can sometimes be obnoxious little poos, place on this earth soley to test your resolve. Whatever.
Kids. Do. This. They just do! They have for thousands of years, and probably will continue to do so.
But why should I have to have an argument with my kids thanks to the pester power of some 3c throwaway plastic toy that comes with a cup of fries?
That is it! I’m ringing Sleepmaker!
Why should I have to have an argument with my kids every morning, thanks to a really warm and comfortable bed that I was forced to buy out of guilt thanks to a really great salesman?!
Trust me, there has been many an occasion I’ve wanted to say “fine, stay in bed then”.
Why should I have to have an argument with my kids every night thanks to J.K. bloody Rowling who keeps my 8 year old up till half past 10 on a school night? And only then puts it down “at the end of the chapter” after considerable threats of violence and loss of LEGO City for a week?!
But at least he’s reading.
If you ask them, Mummy is a big fat OGRE who says “No” to them!
But I don’t think I’m endangering their health as a result.
As a trained teacher and mother of six, I can safely say I’m an expert when it comes to parenting – not because I have all the answers, but because I have made all the mistakes that can be made (lol).
When it comes to saying ‘no’, I fluctuate. Consistency has always been my biggest weakness as a parent. However, some expert once said that if you say ‘Yes’ to the small things, you can keep the ‘no’ for the more serious issues. Not sure how this fits in the over all scheme of whether to take kids to Mc D’s or not. These days when I say ‘no’ to going there, frankly, it’s more because of their appalling service, than because of the food (and sadly I love my collection of tos from there!).
I think over all, it gets down to really working out your values then sticking to your guns when it matters most.
Oh, and did I mention that prayer helps a lot? (lol)
You mean LOTS of prayer?? LOL
I hear ya – personally, I think its about choice. Clearly, you’ve worked that out
I jsut can’t work out how come I never get the nagging and everyone else does? Seemingly.
Not that’ I’m complaining!
[...] refer, of course to a post I did a few weeks back and promised a “coming soon” post. I said something like: I know how business operates and know that, in order to keep a [...]