Nanny 911. This might be the best form of birth control, ever.
Over two years ago, I suggested that parents should be forced to get a permit to be parents. Some people thought I was crazy; fewer people though I had an interesting and provocative idea. Most people saw the first paragraph and didn’t bother to click through to read about it.
Enter this new “reality” show on Fox, Nanny 911. A simple show, really, and it just premiered tonight. Take a family that has one or more unruly children and send in a professional nanny. It’s almost like Offspring Makeover or something. In the debut, there are two kids – both of which don’t speak exceptionally well (i.e. baby-speak,) hit each other as well as their parents, and swear/scream/tantrum at will – and two “clueless parents”. No, no, really. The mother was just on TV saying “I don’t think we’re bad parents; we’re just clueless parents”.
I can think of no finer case study to support my permit idea.
If you’re a clueless parent, why on earth haven’t you gotten help? A clueless parent is a bad parent – I know, because I’m a clueless parent, but I don’t have kids, which is the major difference here. I’ve said it before – not all people have a parental instinct… that’s part of the permit idea – if you were born without the parenting gene, train up a bit. Most mammals can figure out the sex part of it… having children does not a parent make! Education is required. And that’s where I can fault these particular people: these kids are like five years old! They aren’t parents with newborns. They’ve had a lot of time to plan and research and learn. Yet here they are, on national TV: “Hgoo! We’re Clueless Parents!”
Honestly? I’m shocked they figured on the sex part. Maybe the dude tripped on the rug and had a luck penis placement for fifteen minutes. Bleh.
Will this show become part of my TiVo season pass? Hell no. I’ll only get more and more frustrated that people like this are procreating. Twice over. And so help me, it will prevent me from ever have kids of my own…
Hell, even the dog misbehaves… go figure.
I agree parents should be licensed before giving birth. I have seen some pretty fubar situations. I heard about a parent who wouldn’t move into her dads (free)house. Because the house didn’t have a backyard so she couldn’t put the kids in the backyard and forget about them! Also you almost need an act of congress and a hefty wallet to get an adoption. Some adoption have guidlines for the number of divorces or years married. Having kids dhould be the same!
I have to admit – I watched this for about 5 minutes before I turned it off. I can’t believe that these people went on national television like this. My thought was that they have not once diciplined their children and now it’s out of control. Granted – not being a parent yet (10 days overdue and counting) I can’t pass judgement, but come on – it took the guy practically 10 minutes to stop the girl from putting her bare feet on the table during dinner. Seriously. If I had done that and started to cry, my mom would have smacked my ass and told me she’d really give me something to cry about. One of my favorite “mom” lines. :)
I only saw the previews to this show- (I was too busy watching Lost and Regency House -also shows of whining people, come to think of it but more entertaining.)
My impression was that they should turn off the computer and talk to the kids. In my experience kids act like this when they can’t get the parents’ attention any other way. I wouldn’t spend any time with these people in real life so I wasn’t going to spend time with them if I had the option to change the channel.
Of course my own children were never like this and all the parents and almost parents (hi stacy) I know, of young children are excellent parents.