Mean Mums a must read for all parents. Tell me what you think?

Question

Mean Mums
Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mum told me:
I loved you enough... to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.
I loved you enough to be silent and let you dicover that your new best friend was a creep.
I loved you wnough to stand over you for two hours whilst you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.
I loved you enough to let you see my anger, disappointment, and tears in eyes, Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.
I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh that they almost broke my heart.
But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logice that motivates parents you will tell them.

It may not be question but it helps answer some.
Here is some more to the poem,
Was your mum mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world!
Whilst other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal,eggs and toast.
when others had a pepsi and twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.
And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from the other kids, too.
Mother insisted in knowing where we were at all times. You'd think that we were convicts in prison.
She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.
We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs, I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

And more She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough.
Mother wouldnt let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them.
While everyone else could date at 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.
Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us had ever been caught shoplifting, vandelizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault!
Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be Mean Parents just like Mum was.
I think that is what's wrong with the world, It just doesn't have enough Mean Mums!

Answer 1

Beautiful, very well said. Thank you for sharing it with us.

It's so true. My kids are grown now, and I can remember the look of disgust in their eyes at times, but I can also recall the times when they benfited from my fussing. So, right you are! I was very blessed that I didn't have any major troubles out of either one of my children. Thank God everyday for the bad times as well as the good times. Without bad times, we wouldn't really know how to appeciate the good times.

Perfect!

God bless us all...........

Answer 2

Yes, I do like it. So much so that I remember it. I first read it a little over 20 years ago in a Dear Abby column (although I have no clue who actually wrote it, and this version is very slightly different). I was a teenager at the time and my mother showed it to me.

EDIT:
Actually, I don’t think it was Dear Abby, I think it was an Ann Landers column (but I don't know if she actually wrote it).

And, on another note, I think her daughter, Margo, who’s now doing that column is no Ann Landers (she’s given some advice to people that had smoke coming out of my ears).

Answer 3

My oldest daughter sent this poem to me a few days ago.She is a mother now and so she has a true appreciation for the meaning of this poem.I thought it was funny she sent the peom to me,it was like a thank you for being my mom.

Answer 4

I love it. Even though I am not a parent I feel the very similar for my students (I'm a teacher). I can only imaging how much more of this parents feel.

Answer 5

Sounds spot on to me

Answer 6

i loved it and it is so true.it takes me back to my children's teen years. i love this poem, who wrote it?thanks for the reminder

Answer 7

I liked it. It spoke volumes.

Answer 8

thats what I try to tell my 3 teenagers.

Answer 9

i'd definitely send this to my kids when they're older. it rings very true

Answer 10

Ummm...very nice...but not really a question.