Parenting 101

Yesterday I had to go the Doctor. I hate going to the Doctor. It's always such a frustrating (because they make you wait FOREVER), degrading (you have to sit on the crinkly paper and get weighed) and generally irritating experience.

While waiting in the lobby for my appointment there was a very haggard looking woman there with her 4 children. I think the kids were trying to re-enact a scene from Lord of the Flies. They were running around, throwing magazines, hitting each other etc... Calling each other clever names like, “Poopie eater” and “Doo doo head”. The mother had finally had enough and grabbed one of the little kids by the arm and said, "If you don't sit DOWN RIGHT NOW, I'm going to tell the Doctor to stick a needle In. Your. Eye!" Can anyone say Mother of the Year?

Well that took the fire right out of that little boy. He sat right down and looked like he was going to cry. In fact, I felt like I was going to cry too. She was really scary. What kind of parenting is that? I know we all think those kinds of thoughts about children from time to time, but who actually says them? I must admit I was pretty grateful though for some peace and quiet and if it took the threat of a needle to the eye, so be it.