Dr. Mel Tavares (C) 2024
I had a mean mom. Years later, I became a mean mom. My sister became a mean mom, too. My mom was so mean she PAUSE, THEN KEEP READING...you'll understand in a couple of minutes. As I was saying, my mom was so mean she made me eat healthy foods. She limited the cookies (yes, I stole from the cookie jar routinely). She made me do chores. Every day. I had to learn to cook and clean and garden. She was very mean. Did you have a mean mom like this? Are you a mean mom, too?
'The Meanest Mother in the world' is one of my favorite poems. I bought my mean mother a coffee cup for Mother's Day one year. Why? I wanted her to know just how mean she really was! Meaner than many. Most of my friends had mean moms, too. As I review this again, I realize she wasn't mean enough to take us to church, but she did let her own mean mother (my Nana) take us. HUMMMPH. Seems like there were a lot of mean moms around while I was growing up!
As years passed, I have grown to appreciate the words in the poem even more than I did as a young adult. In fact, I've been so impressed by the words that I did my dissertation work on today's youth culture and the fact that many problems stem from the world not having enough mean mothers.
I see too many moms letting their kids eat junk for breakfast and lunch, and grabbing drive-through meals for dinner. We need mean moms to rise up and teach other moms how to be mean and make kids eat healthy and exercise.
We have a nation of kids who are allowed to use devices to access digital platforms with no parental supervision. Tragically, the results are not good. We need more mean moms to rise up and say "no" to allowing youth to have unlimited and unsupervised social media accounts where predators stalk. Just today, I read of some mean moms filing a lawsuit against SnapChat and winning. TikTok has been in the news for months because of the questionable material on it. YouTube has been called to task more than once for allowing blatant videos telling kids how to commit crimes or suicide. Come on moms, time to get mean and protect your kids by supervising device time!
I know I sound old-fashioned, but my years of working first in the Department of Education and now in ministry, I can attest first-hand that moms have gotten softer over the years. My research confirmed my suspicions that mean moms are becoming an endangered species. There are lots of reasons why moms are no longer mean and there are endless consequences in our youth as a result.
Am I saying there are no Mean Moms left that are currently raising children? Not at all! I know many who are just as mean as my mother was! Some learned from their moms, while others I know are learning by attending small groups, researching, and being friends with other Mean Moms.
For a full look at the reality of the situation, you can check out my dissertation work on Amazon. It is current, and although I've not researched to confirm my post-pandemic suspicions, I fear things have gotten worse not better.
If you are amongst the Meanest Moms in the World, thank you! Keep teaching others how to be mean moms! If you have read this article and realize you are not the mean mom written of here, I urge you to do your research and consider joining the Mean Mom Club! Blessings to you and Happy Mother's Day!
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