A three-year-old throws tantrums and begs his mother not to go to daycare. Worried, she goes in unannounced and what she sees shocks her.
“No, mommy, no!” Johnny threw himself on the floor and started screaming. Marla Evans sighed. Not again! She looked at her watch. If he threw a full tantrum, she would be late yet again.
She gazed at her three-year-old with exasperation. Johnny had been going to daycare for two years and always loved it. For the last week, out of the blue, he’d been making a scene, begging Marla not to take him.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
She’d spoken to her pediatrician, and the doctor had told her that toddlers often went through the ‘terrible threes.’ “Stop it!” Marla heard herself scream, then she saw the look of fear in her son’s eyes. Something wasn’t right.
Marla sat down on the floor next to Johnny and coaxed him into her lap. He sobbed, pressing his little face against hers. Marla decided this was more than a tantrum, but what could be wrong?
“Honey,” Marla said gently. “I’m sorry. Mommy didn’t mean to snap.” She rocked him until he stopped crying and asked gently, “Why don’t you like daycare anymore?”
Raising a child is about setting and respecting boundaries.
Johnny shivered in her arms and whispered, “I don’t like!”
“But why, sweetie?” Marla asked. “Are the other kids mean?” But Johnny wouldn’t answer. Marla sighed. “Baby, mommy needs to go to work, but I tell you what… I’m going to come and get you from daycare early today, OK?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Johnny sat up in her lap. “No lunch?” He looked up at her anxiously. “No lunch, mommy?”
Lunch? The worried mom frowned. What was happening with her son?
Marla dropped Johnny off after promising she’d fetch him before lunch. He walked into the daycare quietly but threw Marla a pleading look that left her heartbroken.
She went to work and asked her boss for the afternoon off to deal with a personal issue. Thankfully, her boss was a mom too and understood!
Marla was determined to get to the bottom of Johnny’s reluctance to go to daycare. She decided to drop in — not before lunchtime as she promised Johnny — but during the meal.
Johnny’s daycare didn’t allow the parents into the children’s playrooms or the dining room, but each door of the facility had a large, clear glass window. Hopefully, Marla would be able to see what — if anything — was going on.
When she arrived, the receptionist told her the children were having lunch. Marla walked to the dining room and peered in. The kids were all sitting at their tables, eating.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
A teacher or an assistant supervised each table. Marla quickly spotted Johnny. There was a woman Marla didn’t recognize sitting next to him.
As Marla watched, the woman picked up Johnny’s spoon, scooped up a portion of mashed potatoes, and pressed it against his lips. “Eat!” she cried. Johnny shook his head violently, his mouth firmly closed, tears running down his cheeks.
“Open your mouth and eat!” the woman said angrily. Johnny was looking deeply distressed. The woman cried, “You are going to sit here until you clear your plate!”
Marla saw a small portion of mince, mash, and vegetables left on Johnny’s plate, and she knew her son. Johnny was not a big eater; she never pushed it when he told her he’d had enough.
Johnny opened his mouth to protest, and the teacher quickly pushed the spoon in. Marla saw her son choke and sputter. She’d had enough! She opened the door and stormed in.
“Get away from my son!” she cried.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The woman looked up, and her mouth hung open. “Parents aren’t allowed in the dining room!” she cried.
“Then they should be,” Marla said, reining in her anger. “Can’t you see Johnny’s had enough? He’s a healthy boy, but he is not a big eater. As an educator, you should know how traumatic force-feeding a child can be.
“Being forced to clean up the plate is an old-fashioned notion. You should be aware of the statistics and the causes of obesity and eating disorders in children.
“And one of them is making food an issue! My little boy is an active child, and if he feels he’s had enough, you need to respect that and not force him to eat.
“As for shoving food into a child’s mouth in that way, it is reprehensible! You should certainly know better. These children are not puppets for you to manipulate at will!
“They are little people with needs and a will of their own. If you don’t respect their boundaries, you teach them they don’t deserve respect. I don’t think that is a message you want to pass on!”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
The teacher flushed a bright red and got to her feet. “I never…” she cried.
“That’s a pity,” Marla said crisply. “Because if this happens again, I will ensure you are out of a job! I’m not sending my son to daycare to be brutalized!”
Marla walked over to Johnny and tenderly wiped his mouth. “Come on, honey,” she said gently. “Mommy promised you a treat this afternoon!”
Marla had a long talk with Johnny, and there was no tantrum the next morning. Over the next few weeks, she popped into the daycare at lunch times just to keep an eye on things.
The teacher never forced Johnny to eat again, and the boy recovered his good humor and enthusiasm.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
- Children and their boundaries should be respected. Johnny’s teacher was teaching him that adults had the right to impose their will on children against their welfare.
- Raising a child is about setting and respecting boundaries — theirs and ours. A child whose boundaries are not respected is insecure and has low self-esteem.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a little boy who learns all about love by watching how his father treats his mother.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
Why Tammy Hembrow’s bikini photos are causing a stir
Tammy Hembrow is a fitness influencer, entrepreneur, and mother known for her inspiring journey and dedication to wellness
However, her public life haven’t been without controversy, as she’s faced both admiration and critique along the way.
And now it’s a bikini photo of Tammy that’s making headlines and sparking reactions – but can you see what people are really upset about?
Known for her massive social media following, Tammy Hembrow, 30, is no stranger to controversy.
The fitness guru, entrepreneur, and mother has made waves with her inspiring workout routines, stunning transformation posts, and candid insights into her journey of motherhood. But with the fame and adoration, there’s also backlash.
Hembrow’s presence online is undeniably polarizing – one moment she’s sharing a powerful fitness achievement, the next, she’s at the center of a firestorm for something many find shocking.
And now, she’s back in the headlines for yet another post she made on Instagram, in October.
Bold crochet bikini
The Australian-born influencer, with more 17 million followers on Instagram, was all about soaking up the sun and sharing her beachside vibes with her followers.
She posted a series of fun, sun-kissed photos, rocking a bright crochet bikini in bold shades of orange, yellow, and pink. Posing effortlessly on the sand dunes, she flaunted her trim waist and confident beach style.
For Tammy, it was the perfect way to embrace summer Down Under. However, not everyone was a fan.
Tammy Hembrow has long been no stranger to controversy over her bikini posts. In the past, when she shared photos in a bikini from the brand Minimale Animale, which was the epitome of minimalism with just the right amount of coverage that seemed to blend seamlessly with her figure.
Detractors wasted no time calling it “unwearable” and joking it looked like “a piece of floss.”
Some people really love the bold design and think it looks great, but others are raising eyebrows, wondering if those types of swimsuits are actually practical for everyday beach or pool time. On said that Tammy embodies everything wrong with society wrapped up in a tacky package.
“Unhealthy looking”
Fast forward to October 2024, and Tammy once again found herself facing questioning comments.
One critic called her “unhealthy looking,” while another wrote, “I admire your fit body and how you’ve maintained it even after 3 children… But I think natural is really the best route to optimal health.” Despite the fact that the majority of her followers praised the post, Tammy is all too familiar with the odd and nasty remarks that comes whenever she posts new photos.
”I used to get told all the time that being strong isn’t sexy or feminine. A few years into my training, it became a daily occurrence,” she shared.
Last year, the Mega-influencer found herself under fire once again for posting bold bikini photos in the sun, just weeks after revealing that a “little freckle” on her leg turned out to be skin cancer.
The fitness star shared that the spot had required a large chunk of her leg to be removed, leaving her with a 30-stitch wound. Yet, despite the serious health scare, she posted photos of herself sunbathing in swimwear, with the bandage from her surgery clearly visible. This move sparked outrage among some followers.
“OMG, U (sic) just had a melanoma removed and r (sic) sunbathing,” one follower commented on Hembrow’s post.
“You’re another type of thick if you’re sunbathing after just having a melanoma removed,” another one wrote.
“Why are you sunbathing when you just had a cancer scare? Seems irresponsible and honestly downright dumb,” a third person said.
Some people are also saying that, as a mom of three, Tammy’s super fit body might make other moms feel like they can’t measure up.
They think it sets an unrealistic standard for what a mom’s body should look like.
And honestly, a lot of folks are wondering if her lifestyle is even doable for everyone— especially when you’ve got kids to take care of and a million other things to juggle.
While many admire Tammy’s dedication to fitness and her confidence, others feel compelled to weigh in, critiquing her choices, body, and image.
Tammy is often praised for her fit physique, but some critics argue that her highly toned body promotes an unrealistic standard of beauty.
This push and pull between admiration and criticism shines a light on how we view beauty and health in today’s world. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all definition of what’s “healthy” or “ideal.” What do you think?
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