Musings of a Massachusetts Witch
But Honey Look At This
In my opinion Facebook has become a place to find the most appalling things. Believe me, I put not only effort but also intention into my daily viewing of Facebook to ensure that I am screening what I am exposed to. I have limited my ‘friends’ to only those individuals that I truly communicate with on a regular basis whether that be in online or offline relationships but it seems that even then I am bombarded by status messages, comments, links, photos, and videos that I would rather have never read, clicked on, viewed or watched. It surprises me that even those individuals that I have ‘friended’ and who I consider a friend find these things interesting or amusing enough to share with not only me but those other individuals that they have also ‘friended’. Sometimes Facebook causes me to question my own choice of associations.
One such situation happened just this past month with a video that can be found on YouTube though I had been exposed to it through Facebook. The video featured a three-year-old boy named Mateo having an argument with Linda, his Mother over cupcakes. I would not have seen this video if it hadn’t been shared by a few of my Facebook ‘friends’ and it would have pleased me to have never viewed it. Unfortunately I cannot undo what has already been done. I did not find the video amusing as those ‘friends’ of mine did. In fact, I found it to be unnerving and disconcerting. The fact that others on Facebook and YouTube found it amusing and entertaining truly concerns me. And guess what? As of March 13, 2014 Ellen Degeneres invited Mother, Linda and son, Mateo onto her show. “She’d like to meet both of them.”
What does this say about our society and its views on parenting? That it’s perfectly acceptable to have your three-year-old son not only address you by your first name, which I find disrespectful, but to argue with you, the parent, over your responsibility to set rules and guidelines for him? He at three, doesn’t agree with your judgment so it’s again acceptable to allow him to argue with you talking over your words with the demands of:
“Linda, listen to me. OK, Linda, listen, listen, listen, Linda.”
Watching the video it is clear to see that the attitude, words, and mannerisms of this child is a reflection of someone else. He is clearly mimicking another adult as he or she argues with Linda. And what does that say about the relationships that this three-year-old is exposed to?
“But Linda, Honey, Honey, look at this … “
Doesn’t that sound like young Mateo is copying someone, perhaps his father? The squinted eyes and scrunched up face with his hands on his hips, to me that is not something a three-year-old naturally does. It’s mimicked behavior. Oh, but there’s more. Let’s address the idea of “pow pows”.
“You and Kevin don’t listen so I have to give both of you guys pow pows on your butt. … You don’t want me to hit Kevin or you don’t want me to spank you.”
So, not only do we have individuals watching this video and finding it amusing we have them believing the idea of “pow pows” is entertaining as well? Seriously? Well, not to me. I have two children of my own, a sixteen year old son and a twelve year old daughter and I never found it comfortable to spank, hit or give “pow pows” to them even when they were behaving in a way that I found frustrating to me or generally unacceptable. Trust me, when they were younger there were many times this occurred.
I have always felt that my children were just as special as I was. Just because they were younger didn’t mean they were less important or sacred. I believe in treating all children as the sacred manifestations of God Herself that they are and because of this it means that I teach by example. I speak to others with respect, I show others respect, I honor those who are my ‘elders’, and I am consistent with my words and actions. But, apparently, according to the number of hits this video has received and the invitation from Ellen Degeneres I am one of the few who hold this opinion.