My sister just tried to stage a parenting intervention with me, basically

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You both sound like a$$holes. Her for getting in your business but you for not having better situational awareness and sensitivity to differences in parenting styles.

Must be the sister! You found the thread and became defensive at being called insane?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet your attitude has been judgmental towards her. This may be her finally pushing back on your “oh it’s FINE” attitude.

Hello sis? What makes you so insecure that you have to be a control freak to your own kids? Does it make you feel powerful to deny your kids simple fast food on occasion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She sounds awful, OP. I’m going home to visit my family this weekend. I love them dearly. But they are super-conservative, southern baptist, judgy Republicans who all live in the same little town. I’m a pot smoking, liberal, Dem. And a witch. And I cuss a little. I’ve had lots of “interventions”. No real advice. Just understanding. Remember, it’s only a few days.

And a witch? You are as nuts as your family.

what is wrong with being a witch?

??? I don't know, what's wrong with being Southern Baptist???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She sounds awful, OP. I’m going home to visit my family this weekend. I love them dearly. But they are super-conservative, southern baptist, judgy Republicans who all live in the same little town. I’m a pot smoking, liberal, Dem. And a witch. And I cuss a little. I’ve had lots of “interventions”. No real advice. Just understanding. Remember, it’s only a few days.

And a witch? You are as nuts as your family.

what is wrong with being a witch?

If your parents are being a part of a "cult" being Baptist, what are you a part of with being a witch? Can't you see the insanity of your own post?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all children go bonkers when they see junk food. My children have it available at all times and they often pass on it. We have bags of Doritos sitting in front of everyone for days or weeks on end. Impossible, according to you.

Food is not a drug, that's just a metaphor of dubious utility. I don't judge people for trying to do best for their children. Honestly, I don't care. I am just telling what I am seeing. Which is that it largely does not work. Like, at all. The only child that I know where it kind of worked is, at 9, an obsessive health nut that all other children run away from.

I have a good friend who doesn't allow junk food and her kids absolutely feast at my house. They are teens so I don't get involved but it cracks me up.

I have young kids and we allow junk food - they get a small dessert every night if they want it, which they always do - yet they still feast when they go to friends houses or my in laws. My in laws in particular feed them so much sugar that they practically have to detox when they get home. In laws insist portions are small and maybe they are, but they also build it up so much that that’s all the kids think about when they go over there. It drives me crazy and they know it but I keep my mouth shut. They’re going to do it, DH sees nothing wrong with it, and to be honest my family has always struggled with weight and sugar obsession while his hasn’t, so I’m just hoping he/they are onto something with how they treat food in the long run. We did forbid fast food. My family never ate it and I hate it. I also hate the concept of eating in a car instaedb

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all children go bonkers when they see junk food. My children have it available at all times and they often pass on it. We have bags of Doritos sitting in front of everyone for days or weeks on end. Impossible, according to you.

Food is not a drug, that's just a metaphor of dubious utility. I don't judge people for trying to do best for their children. Honestly, I don't care. I am just telling what I am seeing. Which is that it largely does not work. Like, at all. The only child that I know where it kind of worked is, at 9, an obsessive health nut that all other children run away from.

I have a good friend who doesn't allow junk food and her kids absolutely feast at my house. They are teens so I don't get involved but it cracks me up.

I have young kids and we allow junk food - they get a small dessert every night if they want it, which they always do - yet they still feast when they go to friends houses or my in laws. My in laws in particular feed them so much sugar that they practically have to detox when they get home. In laws insist portions are small and maybe they are, but they also build it up so much that that’s all the kids think about when they go over there. It drives me crazy and they know it but I keep my mouth shut. They’re going to do it, DH sees nothing wrong with it, and to be honest my family has always struggled with weight and sugar obsession while his hasn’t, so I’m just hoping he/they are onto something with how they treat food in the long run. We did forbid fast food. My family never ate it and I hate it. I also hate the concept of eating in a car instaedb

... instead of a proper mealtime. Unless you’re driving all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister is fanatical about food but in ways that are very confusing to me. Like she would NEVER ever let her kids eat fast food. Or anything not organic for that matter. But her kids at ages 4 and 6 drink 6-8 sippies of milk per day. And are continuously snacking on Lara bars. Like 3-5 per day. Is a hamburger from burner king really worse?

They drink so much milk bcs they are hungry. Also, too much milk can cause anemia, I know bcs my DD had that. She had insane GERD and would only drink milk from 1 to 3 years old. Ended up malnourished, severely anemic, as in no blood could be drawn. We were in treatment for months. Switched back to formula. The milk she drank was cow milk but super enriched, it made no difference, didn't register. In my defense I would have loved to feed her anything, she just refused all food due to her severe GERD issues.

Very interesting, never knew this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You both sound like a$$holes. Her for getting in your business but you for not having better situational awareness and sensitivity to differences in parenting styles.

The kids are 5 and 8. One kid accidentally walked by with fries; they pulled out their iPads before dinner. You actually sound like a$$hole for name-calling children.

I think PP was name-calling you and your sister. Not your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m coming to you from the future. My kids are 10 years older. None of this matters! As long as everyone is within reason, kids with major food and technology restrictions and kids with none truly do all get to the same place. Also, teenage boys need to eat about every hour. My children are rail thin and eat whatever junk they like because of genetics. You truly do not have the control that you think you do.

I have run boot camps during vacations for my kids in which I made them exercise and study for hours, but have come to accept that there is only so much influence anyone can have over another person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You both sound like a$$holes. Her for getting in your business but you for not having better situational awareness and sensitivity to differences in parenting styles.

Must be the sister! You found the thread and became defensive at being called insane?

OMG, I feel sorry for the parents if OP and her sister are anything like PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She sounds awful, OP. I’m going home to visit my family this weekend. I love them dearly. But they are super-conservative, southern baptist, judgy Republicans who all live in the same little town. I’m a pot smoking, liberal, Dem. And a witch. And I cuss a little. I’ve had lots of “interventions”. No real advice. Just understanding. Remember, it’s only a few days.

And a witch? You are as nuts as your family.

what is wrong with being a witch?

If your parents are being a part of a "cult" being Baptist, what are you a part of with being a witch? Can't you see the insanity of your own post?

That post didn’t seem insane to me, and I admire PP for continuing to visit her family despite their differences.

PP—if you are still around, you might enjoy this Todd Snider song, which pokes fun at both conservative Christians and tree-hugging liberals: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iodmrw0B4d0

I think OP has gotten good advice here. I feel sorry for the sister’s kids, but hope they can all have nice cousin time despite the sister’s rigidity. I would guess the sister suffers from anxiety, and that may help to explain the control freakery. I’d urge OP to try to have some compassion for her while ignoring her “parenting advice”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You both sound like a$$holes. Her for getting in your business but you for not having better situational awareness and sensitivity to differences in parenting styles.

The kids are 5 and 8. One kid accidentally walked by with fries; they pulled out their iPads before dinner. You actually sound like a$$hole for name-calling children.

I think PP was name-calling you and your sister. Not your kids.

The parent is an a$$hole for letting her child eat a french fry and play on an iPad before dinner? Oh, dear.

[Anonymous]

DCUM rule of law is to take a tiny kernel of truth from a post and blow it into a massive overreaction to justify meanness.

And so, a parent who lets a child eat fast-food during errands has obese children, is single, is low-class, and is a slacker parent. Get it right people! Clap clap!!

[Anonymous]

I know I’m going to get railed on here, but each of your kids have their own iPad? Honestly, it’s awful for children. You go to another country where this is not the norm and are amazed at how much more engaged the children all with their world. Here we are headed into Wall-E territory out of ignorance and defensiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know I’m going to get railed on here, but each of your kids have their own iPad? Honestly, it’s awful for children. You go to another country where this is not the norm and are amazed at how much more engaged the children all with their world. Here we are headed into Wall-E territory out of ignorance and defensiveness.

This thing happened known as a pandemic wherein many parents had to work full time while balancing childcare, and iPads came in amazing handy!