Mean Mommy

The kids were watching the movie "Yours, Mine and Ours," last night, the story about a woman with 10 kids who marries a man with 8 kids.  The new husband and wife have significantly different parenting styles;  while the woman is very laid-back, affectionate, creative, and wants her kids to express themselves in all different ways, the man is a leader in the military and treats his children to "toe the line" in a similar fashion.  (His youngest kids say stuff like, "Permission to play, Sir!" and he responds, "Permission granted.")

Part-way through the movie, Colsen came to me, looking very distraught, and said, "Why is that mommy so mean??"  

I thought he was mixed up and really meant to say that the strict, hard-line father was the one who was mean.  The mother is portrayed as the softer, kinder, open, cheerful one!

When I questioned Cole about this, he insisted it was the mommy who was mean.

"Why do you think she's mean?" I asked him.

"Because she lets those kids do everything!  Anything!  She would probably let them eat 20 popsicles!" he answered.

"But why is that mean?" I pushed him.

"Because it's like she wants them to grow up and have other people be mean to them!"

I started to see where he was going with this....  I asked, "Why would other people be mean to them?"

"Because they're going to be SO BAD!!" he finally declared, getting exasperated that I clearly didn't recognize the connection between lax discipline and poor behavior in children and the adults they grow into.

I'm glad he gets it!