Welcome to the Mean Mom's Club Blog

What is a mean mom and why do I want to be one?

2009-02-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

Tips for Being a Mean Mom

2009-02-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

What? A mean mom? Yes, a mean mom. But don’t you want to be the nicest mom, the bestest mom, the sweetest mom, the biggest pushover mom?

No, you don’t! Not if you want to be the mom who looks forward to a relationship some day with responsible, independent, caring young adults who can take care of themselves.

Read the article Five Tips to Become a Mean Mom and comment on how well you are able to follow the five tips. Find the article at http://www.meanmomsclub.com/videos.htm. Click on the article title on the web page.

Mean moms out there, what are your tips for being a good mean mom? What is your best line, or look, or gesture? Share them other with moms trying to become mean moms to help them take a stand and not back down.
The best comment will win an “I’m a Mean Mom” Certificate to post on your fridge to remind the kids of who is in charge.

2008-10-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Mean Mom?

“I can’t go? You’re the meanest mom EVER! I wish I lived at Jamie’s house!” When you hear that exclamation, (along with the sound of a slamming door), do you clutch your heart with guilt? Do you wonder what you did wrong to fail so miserably as a parent? If so, pay close attention to what I’m about to say.

According to a renowned, respected researcher, if you feel guilty about incidents like this, you have failed your child. According to this researcher, a successful mom is a Mean Mom. Now, wait a minute, you might object. He didn’t say that, did he?

The researcher, Abraham Maslow, introduced a theory in 1943 in a paper called A Theory of Human Motivation. He identified a hierarchy of human needs that must be met, in sequential order, to reach full maturity, or what he named self-actualization. This theory has been accepted and adopted throughout the world and has earned him the title Father of Humanistic Psychology.

The hierarchy consists of five levels. If we are not provided the critical needs of each level, we cannot progress effectively to the next one, thus interrupting the process of becoming a fully mature adult. The levels differentiated by Maslow are:

Physiological – food, water, shelter
Safety - security
Love, Affection –belonging
Self-esteem – confidence and value
Self-actualization – ability to find your passion

Wait, not one of those levels says to be a Mean Mom. Actually, one does. Can you guess which one?

Send a comment to the blog if you know the answer. Check the website meammomsclub.com, link on the left, to read the full article and learn the answer.

It's not easy being me - a mean mom

2008-09-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was not a June Cleaver mom. And I suspect none of you are either. And that's a GOOD thing!
What we need is not a string a pearls as we happily clean up after everybody. What we need is a set of rules that will help us take charge and be the parent our kids need. Our goal as moms is to raise responsible, compasionate kids who will some day move out & take care of themselves, not "gimme" entitlement kids who expect to be provided everything and then some. By the time they leave, and we DO want them to leave, they need to be able to take care of themselves. If we don't teach them how to do that, they will not be able to make it out there on their own.

Sometimes that teaching requires being tough and sometimes it requires being downright "mean". We're not here to be their friends. But at the same time we don't want to always be the bad guy either. The trick is to balance the two.

What are some of the things you do in your household to balance the roles of dear mommy & mommy dearest?

Join the Mean Mom's Club

2007-08-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Those moms brave enough to buck the trend of the "Entitlement" generation, join my Mean Mom's Club. It's not easy. You'll be called mean and your kids will threaten to run away from home (you should be so lucky).

Learn in my book, Mean Mom's Club: The Mom's Rule Book, how to stop the entitlement, gimme trend and raise independent, responsible, compassionate kids. Follow the seven rules that help you use your own parenting style to make the common sense decisions that the other books out there won't tell you.

Be brave! Be a mean mom! Check the book out on http://www.lulu.com/.

Help me start a whole new trend, one in which the moms rule once again!