Profanity to Discipline? Really?

OK, so help me understand this...Why is it that some parents think it is OK for them to cuss at their children to discipline or just talk to them. Why is it that as a parent, you haven't taken it upon yourself to better yourself for your children? Don't get me wrong, I know that 99.9% of all parents have directed some sort of profane word towards their children. I am not talking about the occasional "damn it" or WTH or something "mild". I am talking about dropping consistent F-bombs at your children, calling them MF'rs, including s#!t after every three words and other heavy hitters....

When, where, and how did this get to be OK? What are you doing? Do you realize that the things that you say to your kids come back out at you or someone else? Do you realize that these are neither appropriate parenting techniques nor vocabulary words for your child to have? How could you possibly think that it is OK for you to speak to a child like that? Do you have any idea how this is going to affect this child later on?

If your child is standing in the grocery store line and asks for a piece of candy (which is purposely put at their height), why are you cussing the child out for asking? It was just a question (A stern no would suffice for an answer)! That is in his nature. The candy is sweet and they know it! They ask because you have probably purchased it before for them. That is not the child's fault...even if you told them not to ask, there are more appropriate ways to let them know that you are not going to buy it. Calling the child sorry (which in turn makes the kid cry) and then calling them a 'spoiled a$$ mf'er' is definitely a sign that you probably shouldn't have had children.

Now, with practical parenting, my goal is to make sure that my readers leave with a practical nugget of parenting wisdom. So here they are:

1. Treat your children with respect. They learn how to treat others by the way you treat them.
2. You teach your children how to talk to you. When your child raises his or her voice at you, remember how you speak to them.
3. Your children are not the source of your frustrations and should not be treated as though they are. You chose to have them. Do us all a favor and make a decision to raise them right.
4. If your parents talked to you like that and you think you turned out OK, take a serious inventory of your life. I am sure you will find an area or two that you struggle in (self-esteem, poverty mentality, unprofessionalism, etc).
5. As parents, we teach what we know. Make a conscious effort to learn to do better.

This blog is in no way intended to be judgmental. Like I said, we teach what we know. We can't teach better until we decide to do better. Become a better you in whatever you do.

These are my observations about life. If I am not Me, no one else can be. If I don't give you Me, no one else will so until next time, I'm...

Just Nedra