But as parents, we either give in to their demands or stay in charge and wait out their tantrums. I go with the latter. Right now my two year-old is screaming because I won't let him hit the printer with his shoe. Oh well. He'll figure out quickly enough that no one is paying attention and stop.
I have never been a "talker" to my kids. I figure if I start trying to tell them a what-it-is-they-are-doing-wrong-and-why-it-is-lecture, all they hear is "wa wa waa wa waaaa.."
I'm more of the "you're done-time-out-see-you-in-a-few" type. If I were as good as my mom, just a "look" would send my kids straight to their rooms and I wouldn't have to say a word.
So when I saw this video of the two-year old Indonesian smoker, I didn't know who I felt more sorry for. The overweight and 2 pack a day 2 year-old? Or the uneducated, poor, 3rd world country mother of his who says that if she doesn't give in to him, he'll throw tantrums, become cranky, hit his head on the wall and suffer from headaches. Heck, why not just pour him a glass of wine too?I certainly would rather him be cranky than live a life with emphysema and lung cancer by age 10. But then again I live in a country whose standards are better and whose government's solution to this problem wouldn't be to offer me a car to get my kid to quit smoking. Where would they go anyway??
In any case, I vote for the "You're done-time-out-see-you-in-a-few" option for both child and parent and maybe government too.
oh my goodness. alan told me about this kid. soo crazy!! doesn't it just make you angry!!
ReplyDeleteWhat in the world?
ReplyDeleteThis should be considered child abuse. Seriously. Makes me ill.
I have a 2-almost-3 year old screamer and tantrumer.. and yes.. just like you.. I walk away or time out it.. and it works!!
Terrible 2? I have a feeling it's going to be TRYING THREES!
When I first saw the picture. I immediately thought it was a hoax. So sad that it is real.
ReplyDeleteOh wow. This is so very sad. It sure makes me think though, and be thankful for a few things.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this somewhere and I am shocked to see it! It is awful.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I really don't understand.
ReplyDeleteYou have my vote! A child smoker would only do something like that if allowed. What the blank is this mom thinking.
ReplyDelete-Taking Terrible ouT of Toddler
You have my vote! What is this mom thinking?
ReplyDeleteOh My! I hear that it is not that unheard of in Indonesia for kids, even toddlers, to smoke as they don't have a anti-smoking stigma (or maybe they haven't heard about lung cancer yet). Horrid! Visiting from Mom Loop!
ReplyDeleteSo basically if she doesn't give in he'll be a kid? How about she be a parent!?! This is absurd!
ReplyDeleteBounced over from Blog Frog . . .
When I first saw this, I thought it must be a doctored photo...what mother in her right mind would give a child a cig ???
ReplyDeleteI was like you when our kids threw a tantrum...although I also used a drink of juice, water or a Binky to calm them down after awhile but none of those cause cancer.
Tobacco companies have been pushing tobacco products on the 3rd world for years.Almost Everyone smokes and they are all so hooked because they use very potent tobacco in the cigs to hook them as early as possible !