Think It Over Thursday: Get along shirts and “Why My Son is Crying”

The Internet is an amazing tool. It lets me work at home, it provides my child with unlimited access to knowledge every day and it connects me to my family and friends. But there are plenty of dark sides to this technological marvel, one of which is the way it’s changing parenting.

For some reason, parents think it’s OK to take to Facebook or blogs and display humiliating personal information—even photos!—of their kids when they “get in trouble.” Instead of keeping these things between them (and, God forbid, building trusting, loving relationships, they are doing things like:

• Shooting computers when teens act out and telling the world about it (an old story, but relevant to this issue)
• Making siblings squeeze together in “get along” shirts and posting the pictures online (so much for telling their children to protect their identities while online, by the way)
• Mocking babies and toddlers—especially boys, who are often told not to cry when they should be free to express themselves as it is—for crying
• And fellow parents are actually cheering for these actions, saying children “deserve it” and that it’s “genius parenting”

Let me tell you something, moms and dads: When your children stop trusting you because of your actions and refuse to tell you about their smoking, or sexual activity, or even the birth of a child when they grow up, I’ll tell you that you deserve it.

I’d like to hear a reasonable explanation from parent about why this type of punishment should be used at all by any unconditionally loving, supportive parent.  Alternatively, share a time when your parents did something similar to you to break your spirit or trust.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia