WOW!! Is she SERIOUS?
Author: justsimplyholly // Category: Parenting, WTH?, You can't be serious!I’m sitting here watching The Today Show. Meridith is talking to a lady on a segment called “Today’s Family: Dealing with kids’ gross behavior”. I missed the name of the woman she is talking to, so I apologize. The general “air” of the segment is obviously dealing with the gross things that kids do. The first thing they talked about was farting. Now, my family is weird because we laugh our butts off over farts. Hey, come on, it’s a natural part of life!
I grew up with a sister who is a “fart supresser” meaning that if she could not excuse herself to “pass gas” she would hold it. Now, I’m not the type of parent who encourages unacceptable behavior from my children when they are in public, and from what I’ve been told by people, I have very polite children. But here at home when it’s just the four of us, that’s a completely different story. Farting does not bother me at all! So when I heard this woman who was talking to Meridith say something like “If your teen won’t stop farting, take away the lap top for a week”. WTH is THAT about? Are you SERIOUS? Punish a child because they are FARTING? No, I’m sorry! As a parent of a 15 year old and a 12 year old, I have MUCH bigger battles to deal with compared to farting! I would much rather hear my child fart than find out that they are doing drugs or drinking. I would much rather that my child fart than treat people disrespectfully!
Am I the only person that honestly feels that farting is not a bad thing? Am I really that far off as a parent because I don’t punish my child because they won’t stop farting? I’m sorry, but I’m just blown away by that segment!
You can read about the segment HERE but they only talk about younger children and how to deal with them if “You think they’re farting on purpose”. This is their exact quote:
And, if you think that it’s been accomplished on purpose, then several minutes in timeout may be in order so that he’ll think twice before doing it again!
YOUNG MAN, YOU’D BETTER THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT FARTING IN THIS HOUSE! OMG, SPARE ME!
I decided to email The Today Show about this segment. I thought I’d share the email that I sent them with you:
In response to this mornings segment and this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23018000/
As a parent of a 15 year old boy and a 12 year old girl who I feel are great children I can’t help but wonder if you’re kidding! As a parent in today’s society I face many different situations with my children where punishment is completely justified. But while watching the segment with Meridith and Dr. Peters this morning my jaw dropped to the floor over Dr. Peters suggestion to “Take away the laptop for a week” over a teen passing gas. What kind of totally not right “Doctor” is this woman? And have we as a society become so “righteous” that passing gas has become such a major thing?
Before you ask, NO, I do not encourage my children to pass gas or burp in public. They know that it’s not something that is acceptable and they do excuse themselves if they do so in public. However, for a “Doctor” to suggest that I should punish my child for FARTING in my own home only tells me that that doctor has NO business treating children or telling people how to parent. That is, unless, that Doctor specifically caters to the rich and elite. I watch The Today Show religiously from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM every day and this segment has to be the biggest joke I have ever watched. I certainly hope it was a one time only thing and not a trend.
Yes, there are many things that children SHOULD be punished for, but passing gas is NOT one of them.
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February 6th, 2008 at 9:33 am
What does she want the kids to do with their farts? Hold them in? Farting is the bodies natural way of relieving natural built up gas, it’s supposed to come out! LOL
I’d rather my kids fart, say excuse me, and move on. It’s not a punishable offense in my house either.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:35 am
I know, it’s like, COME ON! No wonder so many people are so uptight about stupid things! It’s because they hold their farts in….LMAO!
February 6th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
OMG! I would’ve been locked up as a kid if they punished people for farting! Heck, even now my Dad and I get into farting contests.
Geez, does she want her kid to explode from holding in their farts? ‘Cause that’s what happens, you know.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Okay, yeah, farting can be embarrasing in public. I’ll give you that, but come on, in one’s own home? It’s a natural body function - let it out! Nothing good comes from stopping natural functions. If you hold in a sneeze the pressure builds and over time does damage to your ear drums. What does holding a fart do, I wonder?
February 6th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
All I have to say is that woman better not walk into my house.. especially when my sons and daughter are here. You can’t hold farts in like that… it’s not good for you.
February 6th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
That woman is nuttier than a fruitcake. Yeah, I can see punishing kids if they are burping or farting ON PURPOSE in a public place, such as a restaurant. But if they are fooling around like this at home, who cares? I think it should be pretty easy to tell when they are fooling around, and when it’s a genuine passage of gas. They should not be punished for burping and farting for real anywhere.
Mike, my husband, is a champion farter (not intentionally, though). He always has been, and sometimes it gets embarrassing when he farts in public. But what can I really do? I’ve tried to get him to take Beano or something, and he has, but it never seems to work. So I’ve just learned to live with it.
Just as with kids (and husbands are really sorta like overgrown kids in some ways), there are worse things that they could be doing. Mike could be out cheating on me, gambling away his paycheck, or something like that. If farting is the worst thing someone in your life does, I’d say you’re pretty darned lucky!
February 6th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
If this is the worst thing your kid is doing, my god, you should be happy about it! Not punishing them!
Stumbled your post.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Hmmm. I’m pretty sure I’d rather have my daughter fart, on purpose or accidentally, in my home or in public, than walk in & tell me that she’s pregnant, or smoking meth or have the police roll up to my house because she assaulted someone. There are so many other battles that I’d rather choose than punishing her for a natural, bodily function. Punishing a child for something like that is insane. My dad grew up in that kind of environment, I heard him fart once, in my whole life & that was in our home. He was so embarrassed about it that I felt sorry for him.
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