Who here thinks it's funny to lie to your kid, devastate them, record their misery, laugh at them, and then share that video on the internet so that everyone else can laugh at them too?
Jimmy Kimmel thinks it's hilarious, and is encouraging parents to do it. Apparently, it is a "beloved holiday tradition" (his exact words.) Around Halloween, Jimmy Kimmel, on Jimmy Kimmel Live, challenges parents to tell their kids that they have eaten all of their Halloween candy, record their reactions, and share the videos on youtube. Some people get a kick out of watching the kids throw fits. I find it painful. At the risk of sounding judg-ey, I hate it. I think it's wrong.
It's not funny, Jimmy. How would you like it if someone you loved and trusted said "By the way, I emptied your bank account and you're never getting that money back." Okay, you'd be upset about the money, but you'd be more upset that they violated your trust. Then they watch you go through the stages of denial, grief, anger, and depression and then tell you it was all a joke. Oh, and they record you and post it online because to them, your misery is prime entertainment. Do you suddenly feel better because thankfully you still have your money? Huffington Post encourages us to remember that "the parents didn't actually eat all of their kids' Halloween candy." As if that makes it okay.
You might say "Sheesh! Lighten up! It's just candy!" I admit, it's funny sometimes to watch a kid throw a tantrum over something trivial, but I try to remember that to them it isn't trivial at all. They haven't lived very long, and they cherish the simplest things. They don't understand that candy is trivial because it is seriously one of the most amazing things in their lives. They don't understand that they'll get candy next year because they have only lived a few years and probably can't remember more than one or two Halloweens and those were ages ago to them. They don't understand that they can just go out and get more candy because, well, they can't. You are the master of the candy flow (hopefully) and this one time they got to go out and "earn" their own candy by dressing up and asking for it politely, and you have taken that away. It was a wonderful experience, and the candy is a cherished reward and a reminder of a special memory. It's a big deal to them, so it should be a big deal to us.
But it's not about candy folks. I'd rather have a parent who actually did eat all my candy, fessed up, and apologized, then a parent who just said they ate all my candy so they could watch me cry and then mock me for it.
That kind of treatment is cruel, and it's abusive. It is a sign that some parents don't understand how their children feel. Either that or they don't care.
I am horrified that this kind of treatment of children is not only trivialized, but accepted and encouraged in the media. If you feel the same way, you are welcome to share this.
Be kind to your children. Try to understand them. Nourish their trust and show them that they are emotionally safe with you. Don't lie to them. Don't laugh at them. If you mock their pain now, they will be too scared to come to you for comfort and advice when it really matters. You may not understand why they are distressed, but they are. Your job is to be there for them when they are hurting, not to intentionally hurt them so you can have some entertainment and get your ten seconds of fame on Youtube.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/jimmy-kimmel-halloween-candy_n_6099866.html
