Am I a Bad Parent?

[Dying Eagle]

I taught my 3 year old daughter to say "Bush Sucks". I did this mainly because my wifes parents are Shrub supporters. I am hoping she says it around them. My parents love it, being the good liberals that they are.

[pagerbear]

1. Very, very bad!

You should have taught her to say, "Vote for Kerry!"

[skooooo]

2. Nah, I say kudos to you!

What better way to get under their skin?

[pagerbear]

3. You DID understand my reply was in jest, dincha?

[Catch22Dem]

4. Not at all...as a matter of fact...

My daughter (she's 9) told her highly conservative, Bush-lovin', Hillery hating teacher, who had mentioned something she had seen on FAUX news, the following:

"Well, I wouldn't believe the weather forecast if it came from FAUX news."

My resonse? "Way to go honey, that's so fuckin' awesome!" I think my wife almost had a coronary right there in the car.

[Dying Eagle]

5. Thats awsome

We need to teach our kids early that Repukes are evil and we must fight them.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

10. That's going too far, IMO.

True, the current crop has more than its fair share of bad apples, but not all Republicans are bad. Many of them sincerely believe that the GOP agenda is the best thing for America; these people are just as patriotic as any Democrat, and have just as much right to speak their mind.

Teach your kids that prejudice and profiteering are wrong, absolutely. But don't tell them that Republicans as a whole are evil; that's the kind of thinking that got us in this mess in the first place.

[Earth_First]

11. Agreed.

No need to perpetuate hate...

[Nlighten1]

33. Just teach them to think for themselves...

and to avoid attachment to things like ideas and property. Being open minded is a good thing and having the ability to not be too attached to an idea aids in critical thinking.

[Dying Eagle]

14. You know what is gone too far..

Its gone to far that this same little girl could not to see a doctor because i lost my health insurance. This same little girl will have no funding in her school when she gets to it. This same Little girl will have to live in a world of fear and repression if this "Current batch of Repukes" are not wiped off the face of the political world.

NO Republican is out for her best interests. Any republican that doesn't like the way the party is going should quit the party. The ThGOP is my sworn enemy, and that little girl is the reason why.

[mwar]

22. Some things bear repeating...

"NO Republican is out for her best interests. Any republican that doesn't like the way the party is going should quit the party. The ThGOP is my sworn enemy, and that little girl is the reason why."

I agree. We all make decisions about the best way to raise our childern. If you want them to learn about mob mentality, bigotry, hate, greed and destruction, the GOP is your one-stop shop.

[Dying Eagle]

28. Thank you

and BTW WELCOME TO THE DU!!!!

:hug:

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

30. Gaze too long into the Abyss...

"Any republican that doesn't like the way the party is going should quit the party."

Replace "republican" with "American" and "party" with "country", and that sentence looks awfully familiar.

Back on topic:

I'm not trying to defend the right wingnuts currently controlling the GOP, nor am I questioning your ability as a parent or saying your animosity is in any way non-righteous. But the fact is, people - and groups - are capable of changing.

Maybe by the time your daughter's old enough to vote, the Republicans will be the party of social justice and the Democrats will be hell-bent on driving America into the ground; it could happen. The question is, will your daughter make the right choice if she's been taught to judge politicians based on their party affiliation rather than what they actually stand for?

[mwar]

35. It might happen, or it could be there's no Democratic party left

"Maybe by the time your daughter's old enough to vote, the Republicans will be the party of social justice and the Democrats will be hell-bent on driving America into the ground; it could happen. The question is, will your daughter make the right choice if she's been taught to judge politicians based on their party affiliation rather than what they actually stand for?"

If we can teach by example, even negative ones, our children will naturally develop the ability to think for themselves. They will make the right choices if we keep them educated about the wrong ones. The Republican party is currently our best, worst example.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

38. Currently, yes absolutely.

In another twenty years, who knows? And if the Democrats of today teach their children to despise all Republicans no matter what they believe in, because of what the most vocal Republicans believe in now, then where will America be if the GOP ever evolves into a respectable party?

WI 4 K, I'm not saying you shouldn't teach your daughter that the attitudes of those currently controlling the GOP are wrong. However, I don't think it's wise to teach her to dismiss all Republicans out of hand, which is what it sounds like you're doing. Some of the greatest leaders America ever had were members of the Republican Party, and believe it or not, it's entirely possible that another such will come along in her time.

[bearfan454]

15. I agree.

I tell my granddaughter that all the time.

[the Kelly Gang]

6. more like a very naughty parent

but it's the truth so that can't hurt can it ?

[Earth_First]

7. I personally wouldn't teach my child anything they couldn't understand...

Politics is one of those topics in my humble opinion...

[bratcatinok]

8. It might come back to bite you

when she says "________ sucks" . (insert preschool teacher, anyone who tells her no, a playmate who goes and tells their parents, etc.)

[Dying Eagle]

12. Well...

Considering she wont be in school till Bush is out of office, i should be OK

[bratcatinok]

13. Maybe, maybe not!

If instead of saying Bush, she says Grandma or (insert name) sucks, you might have a small problem. She will be able to pick up you don't like Bush and she might decide anyone she doesn't like or is mad at sucks too and she might just tell them so. :)

[Dying Eagle]

16. I have been doing this for about 4 months now

and this is the only time she says the word "sucks". I doubt she even understands that it is negative. Plus, she never says it unless i say it first. I doubt i am corrupting my child that bad.

[bratcatinok]

43. Just wait

kids have this habit of growing up and beginning to comprehend the meaning behind words. One day soon she may turn to you and say "Daddy sucks" and you won't be able to blame anyone but yourself because you were the one who taught her.

[mwar]

9. I Use Bushisms

My kids think they're hilarious. For instance, at dinner tell them how hard it is to put food on your family. When they're doing homework ask them, "Is you learning?" Just make sure they know who says these stupid things, and how much smarter they are than him.

[donco6]

17. Kinda sad.

If your child were a parrot, I think it would be OK. That's the role she's playing at any rate.

[Dying Eagle]

18. Better a parrot for me

then a sheep for dictator Bush.

p.s. lighten up

[donco6]

19. That WAS light.

You don't wanna know what I really think about using toddlers as puppets for either party's views.

[Dying Eagle]

25. give me a break

you make it sound like i am programming her or something. Its this one thing that I told her to say, and like i said she forgets all about it 5 seconds later.

[Purrfessor]

20. One day Bush was speaking on TV and I told my four-year-old

that Bush's name was Old Doofus. The next day she came into the room and again Bush just happened to be on the screen. She paused, and then came over to me and said, " Daddy, do we have to watch Old Doofus again, because I really want to watch Sponge Bob?"

[Dying Eagle]

21. We love Sponge Bob

Is there anything better to help you feel like a kid for a half hour then that.

[Purrfessor]

23. Sponge Bob is great

n/t

[mwar]

26. Sponge Bob and Patrick

Are a more competent slate for the Repugs in '04 than Bush / Cheney.

[Whoa_Nelly]

24. Is it really fair

to bring your child into the middle of your persoanl political disagreement with your in-laws? Playing the child as a pawn, at any time or for any reason, is not a good way to treat any child.

[Dying Eagle]

27. I'm not too worried

They are Repub-lites, they would find it funny too. You guys are making this sound more serious then it is.

[Whoa_Nelly]

29. As the parent of a child

who's father played him for the pawn, it does have an effect. It's never in the best interest of children to use them for your interests. IMO, it's a shitty thing to do to a child at any time for any reason.

[buddhamama]

31. nah. you gave her the language

to express herself. she may only be three but children are often smarter than we give them credit for; in all likelihood she had reached this conclusion before you spoke it to her. the only thing lacking on her part was vocabulary.

[Whoa_Nelly]

39. Three-year olds

don't even come close to having the ability to reach conclusions that are adult in nature. Gave her the language? It's all parental manipulation at this point regarding this particular OP. Taking the advantage to do this once, to use a child for one's personal attention, opens the door to playing the child for the pawn again,
and never done with the child's best interests at heart.
No matter how much "approval" is gained from people in your personal life, or from people on this board, I stand my ground; It's selfish and childish of the parent to manipulate a child in such a way.
It's careless parenting.

[buddhamama]

40. my comment

was somewhat facetious. however, none of what you have said changes my opinion as stated earlier.

Children are taught language through discussion.
They hear others speaking and, mimic what they say.
I took advantage of my son's attention when he was a young child to teach him to say "mommy"-- manipulation?
Children, as well as adults, have a sense of feeling, tone.
They may not understand the word "hot" but, they can tell by tone and expression that, "hot" is a bad thing. SO, i say to you, you are incorrect to assume or state as fact that children are not capable of reaching conclusions adult in nature. The conclusions may not necessarily be their own, and most likely are not, but they are able to judge, feel, sense good from bad positive from negative.
It is not at all as complex as you make it out to seem.
Children learn from their parents and others in their environment.
And, manipulation is often used to teach them, especially at an early age when language is a barrier.

we as adults have are capable of thinking logically
and expressing ourselves and the complexities of life and human conditions using big words/terms, but even we are not above using the simplistic Good Bad love hate etc etc. Bigger is not always better.

A child's thinking can and is, more complex then we give them credit for, it is usually language that makes it appear otherwise.

[Nlighten1]

32. I did the same thing!

Except I taught her to say "Bush is evil!" too. This drove my fundy in-laws absolutely out of their minds.

[mwar]

34. Something to consider

For years now, the repigs have been telling us what is best for our children. They have convinced almost half of the voting public that they alone have the answers. Republicans demand that our children MUST be born, even into the harshest of circumstances by opposing abortion. They are attempting to legislate the sexual preference of our children by corrupting the constitution. They are sending our children to die in a pointless war driven only by greed.

So if we arm our children to protect themselves with a little directed cynicism and disrespect for this authority, we are meeting our responsibilities as parents to the fullest extent.

[Dying Eagle]

36. Your my friend

You get it, Thank You

[mwar]

37. Glad to be of service

:toast:

[Whoa_Nelly]

41. If you have to ask

the opinions of others about choices you make regarding your child, then it must bother you to some extent as to whether or not you made a good choice or not for your child. However, if you are only seeking reinforcement for your choice, then perhaps you may want to reconsider this current choice when the opportunity comes your way again.

As for me, I consider your choice a poor one. A parent who delights in manipulating the child solely for the personal gratification and attention gained by the parent's peers has made a selfish choice. For this reason alone, it was never about the child, it was all about the parent.

"I did this mainly because my wifes parents are Shrub supporters. I am hoping she says it around them."

Poor kid.

[Beaker]

42. what if she turns out to be a lesbian?

you might be dooming her to years of therapy.

[ACK]

44. My brother taught his little girl to say "You suck." to certain family

That he did not like.

I thought it was funny when I was 24. Not so sure now.

_

[BBradley]

45. It's harmless.

I doubt she's gonna start snorting crystal and whoring herself because you taught her to say the word sucks at 3.

[Whoa_Nelly]

46. What's not harmelss

is that every choice you make regarding your child, every action you decide upon, sends a message to your child. Children aren't toys you can treat carelessly. What you do today makes a difference in what happens tomorrow. Treat kids with respect and love, not for one's own personal bid for peer recognition.

[Dying Eagle]

47. once again...

Your putting too much into it. I am not programming her to hate Republicans for life. I am not using her as a tool for my amusement. With a smile and a laugh I say "Hey INSERT NAME, Bush Sucks". Then she goes, "Yeah, Boosh Sucks" I laugh and give her a hug. Its cute and its not wrong.

I have the right to teach my child what i think is right and wrong. She is happy and well adjusted. She says "Please" and "Thank You". I doubt me teaching her to say "Bush Sucks" will cause her any long term problem. Plus, being the involved member of a 2 parent family I am sure that my wife or myself would adjust any problems that came along.

I am sure she will turn out better then alot of the kids out there. Like these monsters:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1212178

[Arugula Latte]

48. I'm a bad parent, too, WI for Kerry

Our kids aren't supposed to call people "stupid." The exception? George W. Bush.

They have already gotten quite a political education. But, we give them reasons for why we have the opinions we do.

As I see it, we're at war. Part of the reason we're at war is that liberals have not stood up for themselves enough.

We are teaching our children to stand up to people who will mow down the poor, the environment, women's rights, gay people, the constitution, and so on. If a fundy Christian wingnut can homeschool his or her spawn, I can instill liberal values in my children as well. The rightwing has made it clear that they will do whatever it takes to turn this country into a fascist theocracy. I will not stand idly by while that happens, and I will urge my children not to, as well.

[TXlib]

49. My 4 year old is drawing anti-W signs

Funny thing is, we really don't talk politics much around her.

[mwar]

50. The enemy's strategy...

Left unrestrained will turn our children against us. They will impose their fundamentalist religious beliefs on them. They will create a false mythology of state in them. They will keep them undereducated, ignorant of the world, and hostile to our authority. They will be harvested into a military that will teach them to kill without remorse, rape and torture for sport.

We have the responsibility to protect our children from anyone who would endanger their lives. Republicans pose this threat in 2004. Teaching our children what they represent is our best defense.