Open Letter To People Driving By My House At 8:00am,
January 23, 2006
I know you are probably wondering what all those children are doing outside so early in the morning during a blizzard, coats and boots on over their pajamas.
I am sure that a few of the children were whining and making their sad pitiful faces at you as you drove by, hoping against hope that some nice family would pick them up, bring them home and save them from their pitiful, tortured life. Oh, and give them hot chocolate with whipped cream and mini marshmallows.
Unfortunately this is what happens when you decide to take the snow shovel off of the front porch, play with it in the yard, and LEAVE IT THERE the day before a blizzard hits and effectively covers the shovel, leaving nary a clue of it’s whereabouts.
Don’t worry, I am sure this will just be a one time occurrence. Natural consequences… much more effective than any form of punishment.
Signed,
The Mean Mean Mean Mother
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OK, you probably win the mean mom for today, but i’ve been awarded the tile more than once. “natural consequences” -one of my favorite phrases in the whole wide world! happy monday from one chris to another
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:35 amLOL! Natural consequences–my favorite! That old parenting technique where the rest of the world thinks you are nuts and yet, you get compliments from strangers on how responsible your kids are! WTG, Chris! But I bet you thought about the whipped cream and marshmellows, didn’t ya??
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:57 amHAHAHAHAHA
Man thanks for my morning laugh!
My girls lost my really nice flashlight (one of those maglites like the cops use) and we found it a year later buried under the HAY from the hayride my husband did for the school!
They had apparently made a “fort” and used the light to illuminate it.
And no, it didn’t work.
January 23rd, 2006 at 10:43 amLove it, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only mean mommie in the world. Thanks for making me not feel alone.
You should have taken a picture and post it on the fridge as a reminder.
Thanks for the laugh.
January 23rd, 2006 at 10:52 amI get the same compliment from strangers about how well behaved my children are.
What they don’t see are episodes like this one you’ve just had. When I’m yelling “everybody up….lets find…whatever it is”
More power to ya mean mommy.
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:11 amAnd I hope you didn’t give them hot chocolate when they finally did get to come in.
But you’re probably nicer than me.
But the big question is… did you FIND the shovel?
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:24 amLOL! (Did they find the shovel?)
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:35 amGood for you! I’m a big believer in natural consequences myself…along with the corner……..and unfortunately yelling. Alot.
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:50 amHA! Yes, you are the meanest mommy in the whole wide world. I’m glad there is someone else out there to take the title from me. I was the meanest mommy the day I tried to take my kids to school, only to find that my eldest had left the keys outside the night before when feeding the dogs. The dog of course ate my car key. You know, the electric kind…and spread the pieces out all over the back yard. And I wasn’t supposed to yell?
January 23rd, 2006 at 12:16 pmI don’t think that is mean at all. A good lesson, that’s what it sounds like. Plus, you are teaching them about temperatures, and precipitation, and traffic, etc.
January 23rd, 2006 at 1:25 pmHa, that sounds like something I would do. But since I have only one son and he tends to be loud and whiney, chances are I would be out there with him just to keep the noise level down so the neighbors wouldn’t lynch me!
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:21 pmA Mean Mom with a purpose is okay. Mean for no reason isn’t. Finding that snow shovel was a character-building lesson in my book. You go, girl–er–Mom!
January 23rd, 2006 at 4:34 pmGood for you! They wont be touching that shovel ever again!
January 23rd, 2006 at 7:22 pmWith my kids, if I offered a dollar to whomever could bring me the shovel first, they would:
a) find it in two minutes
b) bloody each other with the shovel, trying to get it to me first
c) insist they had earned MORE than a dollar, since apparently I wanted the shovel so bad, in spite of the fact that it was THEM that lost it in the first place.
I like your way better.
January 23rd, 2006 at 10:05 pmI just found your blog this weekend and find it inspirational. I have 3 children, and have already applied your laundry basket organizational techinique for two of them (one is 5 months old…a bit too young, but his basket is waiting!) Thanks for sharing.
January 24th, 2006 at 1:14 amOh, you are GOOD!
January 25th, 2006 at 12:24 amThis is a great example of natural consequences - so did they find the shovel?
January 25th, 2006 at 9:52 am