As a single parent, let me just say that my daughter has been a TOTAL punishment

[Bucky]

These last 17 years have been a living hell. She's going off to college in the fall and good riddance, I say!

I wouldn't trade a day of it--not even the bad ones (which, of course, was nearly goddamn all of them!)--but don't let anyone tell you children aren't a punishment. If I was anything like her when I was growing up (and I was) I have too much apologizing to do to my parents.

Not that they didn't deserve it...

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

1. Our children are our parents' revenge on us

I love my boys more than life itself, but they do make me appreciate the headaches I put my own parents through! :)

[Georgie_92]

12. Yes, I must have been an awful child lol.

[Debi]

2. Why do you hate babies and bunny rabbits and sunshine and rainbows

all rolled up in a cute little cloud of fluffiness and light? x(

:hi: You're asking for trouble here....

[Bucky]

23. Darlin', if I didn't want trouble, I wouldn't post in GDP

;)

[sandnsea]

3. I figured out why we have children

It's so we can have grandchildren!!! The grandchildren are all the fun and hugs and kisses that you think your children are going to be.

[midnight]

15. So very true.

[Bucky]

24. Check out the post on Michelle Obama's mother taking care of the kids

Michelle's a chip off the old block. You will fall in love with that grandma, I promise.

If you can't find it here, it's on the Boston Globe's website.

[rainy]

4. Geeze, what has our culture come to when we actually call our children

a punishment and then state that our parents deserved bad children? We are so off in our evolvement into something good. I blame the cult of cool we have allowed corporations to impose on our youth. They control them at a very early age.

[quakerboy]

16. To be fair

my family have described their children as the punishment for the grief they inflicted on their parents for at least 5 generations now. Its not all that new a concept, I think. But thats an entirely different context than Obama used.

[HockeyMom]

5. My older daughter was bipolar

She was not diagnosed until she committed herself at 21. Back then, nobody knew what was wrong with her. She would go from a sweet, straight A student, to cutting classing, out all hours, etc, in a matter of DAYS. Up, down, up, down. It was a roller coaster ride for all of us.

It sure was no picnic.

[rucky]

6. You know what they do in college, don't you? n/t

[Bucky]

25. Noooo!!!!

I'm flipping through the Yellow Pages for convents right now!

[elizm]

7. Grandchildren are God's reward to parents for not killing their own children...

Ever heard that one?? One of my favorites. As a grandparent I completely get it! :)

[sandnsea]

9. lol

That's what I said above. After my first grandchild, the light went off. Oooooh, THIS is why I went crazy all those years. Grandbabies are the best thing in the world.

[elizm]

11. No words to describe the joy, is it? :)

I was a divorced mom raising an only son on my own...and it was NOT easy. With my granddaughter I have all of the time and patience I WISH I had as a mom.

[sandnsea]

13. Yep

My grandson will be 3 in June, the one thing I do notice is the same, is how fast it goes. My daughter just had a daughter on Mar 18, I kind of feel like I don't want to leave her house because I'm afraid this is going to be the last one. My sons don't look to keen on kids at this point.

[joshcryer]

17. Anthropology suggests grandparents are *the* glue for humanity.

The oldest tribes place grandparents in a much more significant role than even the parents themselves, and this sort of comunity stands throughout the ages.

It's still true to this day.

[Bucky]

27. Actually, yes, my kid and my parents do team up against me quite often

I haven't plotted my revenge yet, but that day shall come.

[elizm]

29. It will all make sense and come full circle when the grandchild comes...

Trust me on that one. :)

[oviedodem]

8. He is not saying that children are punishment people!!! He is saying

that if your 15 for example, an abortion is an option, so that 15 year old can continue school and not have to put herself AND the child in trouble.

When you consider that just Friday McCrazy did not know that condoms prevent HIV, it is imperative that we put someone in office who understands the value of sex education and keeping justices that will uphold Roe V Wade.

Come on man!

[Kaylee]

22. If only I could recommend a post.

Am I the only one completely sick of this campaign season. Nothing but a big pile of stinking, disingenuous outrage.

[2rth2pwr]

35. Isn't it funny? Obama defenders haven't agreed on a defense

so some are saying it was taken out of context and others are saying that it's true and everyone knows it!

And some are saying both!

LOL!!!

[panader0]

10. Single dad of three here

Their mom left when the oldest was 4 and the twins were 3. They were easier then than they are now, ages 16 and 15/15. Good lord, if I could only get them to help out a bit around here. I probably spoiled them in the couple of years after their mom left, so I only have myself to blame. On the other hand, the oldest girl is third in a class of 850. The twins make mostly A's with a couple of B's. They don't use drugs (I would know as I started before them). And as tough as the whole thing has been, they are definately the BEST THING that has ever happened to me. I love them so deep in my heart and gut that it hurts.

[DevonRex]

14. Bucky, she'll be baaaccckkkkk.....

Children just don't know when they're adults these days. They keep coming back over and over nad over and over again. They're even going for postgraduate degrees now so they don't have to get real jobs. And as long as they're doing something "worthwhile" you'll keep paying and paying and paying and paying.

And my boys are great. Geez, what it must be like for folks who have the real challenges...

[Bucky]

30. Nooooo!!1!!eleven!!

But agreed. I have a good job and a decent enough support network and I was in my mid 20s when I plunged into the unending nightmare that is fatherhood. I think we all owe a whale load of support to those in our communities who have those "real challenges." I'm glad both our candidates for president recognize the realities those parents face.

[LisaL]

18. Oh you have got to be kidding.

Obama said something not particularly smart in my view, and DUbamas are falling all over themselves claiming children are punishment.
I bet if he told you to jump you would be asking how high.

[Bucky]

31. You want me to jump?

How high?

[depakid]

19. My mom had a saying: "I hope you have 10 more just like you!"

:o

[Bucky]

32. Well... ten kids. THAT wouldn't be a punishment

:eyes:

[depakid]

34. I think the exponent reflected

her level of exasperation... which seemed able to "achieve" with remarkably little effort.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. C'mon, it was my daughter who made me vote for Obama

LOL!

[blogslut]

21. The Mother's Curse

"I hope when you have children, they're just like you."

That one sticks. Luckily my mother never said that to me. Mine has been the dream child. Don't get me wrong, we've had some damned tough times but mine was never as awful a child as I was.

Single mom. Never married. Raised her by myself. Glad I made the choice and damned glad I had that choice.

[blue sky at night]

26. As a parent of three...

I would say you have done a perfect job of transferring all of your worst traits to her. Karma is a bitch, eh? Might want to scope out my tag line....

[northzax]

28. ok, going out on a limb here

but thanks, that was pretty fucking funny. The reponses are even better.

[walldude]

33. I've been saying this all day...

But apparently the Hillary supporters are like the fundies. They all live perfect lives and have perfect kids.

Psst, if your kids aren't torturing you, if they aren't punishing you, then you are doing it wrong. If they aren't torturing you then they are taking it somewhere else. I certainly wasn't surprised when I found out the kids who were picking on my son because he has Autism were fundies. Their kids have to be perfect angels for their perfect parents and their perfect church. So they take their shit out on my kid... and then the parents swear up and down that their wonderful little angels would never treat anyone like that. Gimme a break. I'm not perfect, my kids aren't perfect, and Obama isn't perfect. Luckily we have all these perfect parents on DU to balance it all out :eyes:

[stray cat]

36. How much younger than 16 were you when you had your daughter

[jillan]

37. I love my girls. They are the greatest gifts to me.

And one of my daughters even has multiple handicaps, needs alot of care.

I feel like I am the luckiest mom in the world.

Sorry you feel that way about your kids.