I'm a mean mom, how about you? :)

[ozzzyyy]

I loved you enough....

 

Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent,

 

I will tell them:

I loved you enough... to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home..

 

 

I loved you enough... to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford to buy one for you.

 

 

I loved you enough... to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

 

 

I loved you enough... to make you go pay for the bubble gum you had taken and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it."

 

 

I loved you enough... to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

 

 

I loved you enough... to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

 

 

I loved you enough... to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

 

 

But most of all, I loved you enough... to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

 

 

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

 

 

And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them....

 

 

Was your Mom mean?

 

I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world!

 

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.

 

When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.

 

And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

 

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.

 

You'd think we were convicts in a prison.

 

She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.

 

She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

 

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work.

 

We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs.

 

I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

 

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

 

By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds.

 

Then, life was really tough!

 

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them.

 

While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

 

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

 

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was.

 

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.

It just doesn't have enough mean moms.

 

[gardnmom]

Yep me too.

Been told "I hate you". Been told that no one else has to do that. Know just what you mean.

[logcabinmama]

Yes, me too.

 

 

[Homesteader]

I was mean too. He sure appreciates it now. I guess the meanest thing I did was to "revoke" his driving privilege at age 16. He wasn't ready and had 2 minor wrecks in the first few months he was licensed. I told him no driving until I thought he was ready, I didn't care what the state said. I also warned him that the more he pestered me about it..the more I would know that he was too immature to drive. After nearly a year I felt he was ready and let him drive again. He's never had another wreck or even a ticket since. He also tells me now that I probably saved his life and he is glad I did it. Tough love does work.

 

Maybe Snow should post that poem for us so we can all print it out and put it on our fridges. Or is it the same one that Ginger posted?

 

Sounds like we have 4 mean Moms here!

[ozzzyyy]

Momo, I think the latter part of my post is the famous "Meanest Mother in the World" poem I think your example of revoking DS's drivers license is love amplified in the wisest of ways. Thanks for sharing!

 

Its harder being the "mean" parent, not giving in at every whim and desire. Knowing that what we are demonstrating in the lives of our children for the short time they are living with us, is producing the good fruit of the next generations to come. Having children means you are greatly responsible for tomorrow....the seeds we sow, the ground we till today is the results of the harvest to come. I'm glad there is still "mean moms" out there, there is hope for our future!

 

[Dee]

Ginger when you were growing up did your mom ever say to you..." Just wait until you grow up and have your own children! I hope they act just like you? " That was always the standard line we got growing up . At times my daughter thought I was an ogre while her friends told her how lucky she was to have a mom like me. As she got older she realized that her friends were right!

[logcabinmama]

Reci, I told my kids that.