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This video has been making the rounds lately. The three-year-old boy in the video is usually described as "precocious" and a "tough negotiator." I don't see it. I see a little boy who wants what a lot of little kids want: a cupcake for dinner, and instead of being told why he can't have a cupcake for dinner, his mom (Linda) video tapes him on a tear to explain to her why he should get one. He interrupts her, he calls her by her first name, he talks back, and he argues with her.
Sure, he's adorable. All little kids are adorable, but I don't think this video is cute or funny.
Here's what I think: Linda, Linda, Linda, Linda. Listen, listen, honey, listen. Yes, Mateo is a cutie, but lookit he's only three right now. Linda, Linda, Linda, all of your empty threats aren't working. Honey, lookit, if you're going to threaten to pow-pow someone's bottom, then stop talking about it and do it. Listen, listen, listen, this kind of behavior won't be funny when he's thirteen. Linda, Linda, you need rein him in now or you'll have a nightmare on your hands down the road. Linda, Linda, honey, listen, Linda, listen, put down the phone and put Mateo in time out.
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I completely agree with you! If my kids has spoken to me like that at that age, they definitely would have gone to "time out". My kids don't talk to me like that now and they are now 13 and 15! Videos of kids being allowed to disrespect their parents are not amusing; only sad.
ReplyDeleteI haven't even watched it because I KNOW it will just make me mad and want to swat him. So no, you aren't the only one who doesn't find this funny.
ReplyDeleteI watched the whole thing waiting for the funny part but it never came.
ReplyDeleteI watched him and was reminded of an adult comedian. Seriously, not from a 3-year-old!
ReplyDeleteNot cute, just manipulative. When he doesn't get his way as an adult, he'll just go pow-pow on someone's face. Are you listening, Linda?
ReplyDeleteThere was a story on HuffPost about this as well, mainly that they thought the mom was implying she would spank him, which of course sent all the super-informed HuffPost commenters into a tizzy. My thought was a) why the hell is he not calling her "mom?" and b) why the hell is this news?
ReplyDeleteNow if this was a talking cat asking for a cupcake over and over again, that shit should go viral. A spoiled kid negotiating parenting duties and a parent videotaping instead of parenting? Not so much.
You guys areridiculous. The video is very cute. Try to lighten up a bit. :)
ReplyDeleteFor sure. Why do people sound like that cranky, old neighbor who has forgotten how funny, cute and naughty kids can be?
DeleteMade me laugh.
ReplyDeleteThis video is a few minutes of this family's life. We cannot possibly know what mom's parenting is like based on a few minutes of video. I think Mateo is adorable and funny. Why can't we just take things at face value and stop judging each other as parents?
ReplyDeleteAs the mother of four.. Not funny.. This parent won't think it's funny at 15 years old when he telling her how it's going to be.
ReplyDeleteI wondered who else has been arguing with Linda like this that little Mateo has overheard? A kid doesn't just come out with that sort of talk out of the blue. I thought he was cute, but his little speech was not. It made me wonder who was disrespectful to his mom first.
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY. Very condescending. Kids don't just come up with this manner of talking to others on their own.
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DeleteMy first thought was "where did this child learn to threaten like this?" It made me sad to think of the male role model he has, teaching him to throw tables and "smash" things up to get his way. The fact so many people think it's funny is a good indication of why domestic violence is so prevalent.
ReplyDeleteYES. This. Thank you. Where in the world is he getting this "Linda, honey, listen, lookit..." if he's not getting it from his dad? Ugh.
DeleteI read in an article that the parents saw another child upset after becoming lost in a park.... the kid didn't know his parents names so they couldn't be paged. So the parents of the kid in this video decided to teach their kids the names of both parents.... which resulted in this kid calling his mother by her first name.
ReplyDeleteI don't really see anything in this video that's cute either. Just mimicking Dad which is kind of nauseating and makes me feel sorry for this mother who thinks it's funny and now gets to hear it from two sources.
Ugh, I just see him at 17 talking to his girlfriends like that. I am the mother of two daughters (on eight weeks three!), step mother of a three year old girl, and have a niece and two nephews. This behavior does not fly in our family. If he treats his MOTHER like that at three, I do not want to imagine how he will treat his girlfriends, or baby-mamas as an adult. And I mean baby mamas plural, because you know he will try to 'Linda, Linda, Linda' his way out of wearing a condom.
ReplyDeletecute now, wait a few years, wont be so cute then.
ReplyDeleteNope, not funny. At. All. As a mother of two that behavior would not be tolerated at my house. No way. Not cute.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't even watch the whole thing. I stopped it about 30 seconds in. This is exactly why children are out of control these days. It's not cute, it's not funny -- it's incredibly disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteListen, listen, listen Linda - you show people how you want to be treated. And you're showing your child how to walk all over you and dismiss your role as mother and authority in his life.
I also suspect very much -- that this is how daddy talks to mommy. Kids are excellent mimics.
Yeah didn't find it funny either. Just annoying!!
ReplyDeleteI could not finish watching it. I wanted to throttle him and his mother.
ReplyDeleteFour words: put the phone down. I teach preschool and this made me twitch.
ReplyDelete1. How does she think it's so funny that her son is disrespecting her like this?
ReplyDelete2. Put your phone down and be a parent. Stop recording your child being sassy.
3. I hope your husband doesn't keep talking to you the way that your 3 year old sees him talking to you. Because you and any girlfriend he EVER has are screwed when he gets older.
I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking this kid isn't cute for calling his mother by her first name and pleading his case for a cupcake. Like you said, he is cute. 3 year olds are cute...his behavior deserves a pow-pow.
ReplyDeleteI think he is probably repeating what he hears his father say all the time ... that is not the way a child that young speaks .. he heard someone else talk to her that way.
ReplyDeleteI think it is awful. He is cute but on his way to being an awful kid :)
That video is THE WORST. Where did he learn to talk like that? Condescending and interrupting... NOBODY should be acting that way, whether it's Linda taking to him, dad taking to Linda, whatever. Not cute.
ReplyDeleteI do NOT think this is cute. I would lose my patience talking to this little boy. It is rude and disrespectful to talk to your parent that way. NOT acceptable at all!
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought when I saw it...that would drive me nuts if my kids acted like this. However, the two people that sent me the video, and thought it was hilariously adorable, are my sister and brother-in-law that have 4 kids. Guess how well their kids listen to them :( And, they're constantly asking why our kids are so well behaved.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hilarious. I even DVR'd Ellen because he was on it yesterday, but it's funny- because it's not my kid.
ReplyDeleteI finally got around to watching this video. I think the little boy is cute but don't think the video is very funny. What really struck me though is how mad some people are getting over this video. All the sanctimommies are out in full force. Everyone assumes the boy's father speaks to the mother this way and that is how little Mateo learned to speak like that. Umm, don't think so. Sounds more like this is how Linda speaks to her older children and little Mateo is copying her and giving it right back to her. That's probably why mom was so amused and recorded it. And seriously people it's a 2 minute video. This is not evidence that this is how Mateo acts all the time. NO ONE's kid is well behaved 100%. Stop judging. If you really dislike or hate it then ignore it. It's the best thing you can do.
ReplyDeleteI can't freaking believe this kid was just on the Ellen show. And a company donated $10K (Shutterfly I believe) to help his family. All because she posted a video of her bratty, mouthy son on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!!!!! Not cute!!!
ReplyDeleteThe kid is persistent. You gotta give him that. And I am quite sure that is exactly how his Dad talks to Linda
ReplyDeleteThank heavens im not the only one who thought this!!
ReplyDeleteYES!! I am so infuriated with society's acceptance of this behavior as "cute"! And then Ellen DeGeneres gave them $10,000 -- I'm blown away by it!
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I thought was "I don't even want to see how the dad talks to 'Linda' "!!! It was funny though, Linda had it coming for not following on the "pow-pow"
ReplyDeleteParenting down to shit, I really don't know what to think about the $10k Ellen gave them (if it's true)... Good parenting should be rewarded double!
DeleteI think he is funny as hell.. I laughed... he is 3 folks.. this is how he is learning to communicate. Most kids at 3 can hardly put two words together... he reasons that at Grandma's house you can touch things and do different things than you can at home. I don't believe in time out... if a child needs a swat .. then do it... all mom was doing was video taping a moment in time... no big deal.. I don't believe the kid is going to grow up and be an axe murderer cuz he argues with his mother and calls her by her first name... my children did the same thing... they got a swat when it was justified... low and behold both my daughters completed their college educations... Sac State and Boise state.. Both are ADA County Deputy sheriffs, Both have nice homes respectful husbands, children and happy lives... So do I think punching this kid in the throat is the right thing to do as this blog says... no.. anyone that wants to punch a 3 year old child in the throat for talking back is a sick individual.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that she stated she wanted to punch a 3 year old in the throat. I didn't read that at all. No one said he would be an axe murder either. Did you read the same blog? I think that what she and other commentors were trying to say is that this way of speaking to ones parents is not cute. It is disrespectful and running rampant in our country. She was saying that if she doesn't nip it now, then he will continue to speak to her this way and it will be harder to get him to respect her the older he gets. Who is thinking of hurtful things? I have two daughters also and they would NEVER speak to me this way. I always get complimented on your polite behavior. I have taught them how to be respectful of others and especially their parents and family members. Congrats on your daughters being upstanding citizens.
DeleteHummm I just went to one other posts of yours.. the one about the elf... I think I have learned all I need to learn.. you talk about how this child acts... and how you would deal.... but yet in just one of your other posts you talk about how you have to lecture your kids... how when they start to do something wrong you shout out elf.. and how bad your children are during the summer was it?... wow... I'm thinking stones and glass houses right now...
ReplyDelete*On their polite behavior. :)
ReplyDelete100% agreed. I was so appalled as not only a parent but as a teacher (certified but subbing at the moment) I've had experiences with kids who behave this way and it's SO frustrating!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're probably ugly and your parents don't love you...that kids adorable/hilarious
ReplyDeleteHe is cute. I feel sorry for the kids of all the uptight parents that agree with the joyless person that wrote this. I seriously doubt that his mother is a bad parent and I think it's really funny how people jump to judge on so little. You never know what the future holds and your perfectly raised kids might just grow up to be sociopathic assholesin spite of their perfect upbringing while this child grows up to be a kind and respectful productive member of society. I hope not but it's best not to be so judgemental because life might just bite you in the ass.
ReplyDeleteA small child with a personality, imagine that. People so quick to judge, imagine that. There are far too many important issues you can get legitimately upset about, instead, you choose to get your panties in a wad over a 3 year old and his mother. But yet, you find nothing wrong with a post entitled, "People I want to Punch in the Throat" referring to a child and his mother. Now there's some irony...
ReplyDeletei watched that video and I hate to bust it to the 78% of commenters here... BUT, you are all wrong. this video is adorable. this kid is adorable. he is 3 years old for pete's sake. i can say with some certainty, that mateo doesn't have a regular issue with trying to steal cupcakes as a daily replacement for his dinner or lunch. mom said no. so he went to check with grandmom to see what she'd say. LOL... that is hysterical. and we've all done it with our own mom's and dad's (dad says no, so we go check with mom) I just can not believe how Judgemental so many of you are being on Linda's parenting. Leave her alone. And as far as the video landing the child on The Ellen D Show, its because that video is an internet sensation... if it was an LP it would be multi-platinum... Can't you just be happy for the family to receive 10 Grand to help them out. Seriously... stop being so critical.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if the ones bashing Linda bash the pedos/drag queens that are dancing with little ones at drag queen library hour putting money down the kids pants, those r the parents you should b bashing, not Linda.
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