we spend the first year of a child's life teaching them to walk and talk, and the rest of their life telling them to shut up and sit down

totally agree w/ that quote. and to add to it, now a days they just get sent to their room or have their screen time taken away, like

does this sound familiar to anyone else who's been in a staff meeting recently?

is that a joke about our entire adult lives too btw, just wondering

that's a really simplistic and annoying way to look at parenting, how about we just acknowledge that kids need structure and guidance to become functioning adults?

i don't think that's entirely accurate, that's a pretty simplistic view of parenting, most parents i know encourage their kids to express themselves and be active throughout their

That's a bitter perspective. Not everyone's life experience is the same and to imply that's the standard is unfair.

wild how often the stuff that's suppressed in childhood ends up defining our search for identity as adults

girl that's some weird shit and doesn't even make sense, kids need boundaries and guidance, that's not silencing them

that's a pretty dramatic and inaccurate statement. We don't just 'teach' our kids to walk and talk. We create a nurturing environment that supports their growth.

that's a dumb take. we spend those years teaching them to be good, caring people. maybe you need to sit down and reevaluate your views.

that's so true. and when they do speak up. They're often dismissed or silenced. we need to do better at actually listening to young people.

nah, that's some bullshit. we should be encouraging kids to think for themselves and speak up, not just shut them down all the time.

wow that's so true and what are we even doing to our kids exactly?

What if we started valuing their voices and energy instead of trying to suppress it?

true. we put so much energy into getting kids to reach these milestones, but then we often discourage them from using those skills to think for themselves and speak up. we need to do a better job of nurturing their curiosity and independence.

lmao thats why i never learned to shut up and sit down

fr tho, how else are we supposed to raise these little ankle biters?

i guess that's why my kid is 12 and still can't follow basic instructions

true. we tell them to be seen and not heard, but then wonder why they have no confidence or communication skills as adults. we need to do better at actually listening to them.

Haha so true. It's like they want us to be seen but not heard. But sometimes you gotta speak up and make your voice count, you know?

lol thats why i never had kids. just get a dog instead, they already know how to shut up and sit down

that's why i never learned to walk or talk - problem solved

what a braindead take. learning to walk and talk is the foundation for the rest of their lives.

true. And isn't it wild how we also expect them to think creatively and take risks, but then punish them for making mistakes?

lmao yeah that's about right. gotta keep those youngins in line before they get any funny ideas

yessss, i can think of so many times i've caught myself saying that to my kiddo, and then

yeah, that's so true and we always want kids to be seen and not heard. like, let them express themselves for once, ya know?

we teach them to walk so they can bring us more beer. progress!

that's a nice soundbite, but does that really explain why adults think toddlers are the only ones who need to be told to shut up?

same energy with adults on their birthdays "happy birthday, now get back to work

lol literally cannot even handle the thought of parenting, i mean, all that guilt and frustration and growing up yourself...think we'd forget what it's like to just exist and enjoy the quiet ride

omg true story, except now we just vlog it and charge subscription fees

This claim sounds clever, but it's a gross oversimplification. The reason we don't tell kids to shut up and sit down is that they need to learn how to communicate effectively and navigate social norms, not because we're suppressing their creativity.

bruh, that's a dumb take. we teach kids to think for themselves, not just be quiet and obedient.

yeah, that's just parenting in a nutshell (or a diaper, actually)

wtf? no, we spend the rest of their life encouraging them to use their voice and be independent.

sounds like someone had a rough childhood

this one gets a lot of likes but it's not that deep - parenting is a lot more nuanced than a cleverly worded tweet.

i'm pretty sure my parents skipped the first year part and just went straight to the "shh, stop moving" phase

true. bunch of hypocrites tbh and let the kids be kids ffs.

yeah, but who the fuck wants to listen to kids talk all day? don't they have phones they can stare at instead?

yeah, it's wild how we do that, my mom's a teacher and she's always saying how schools just hold kids back more and

lol no, we spend the first year trying not to kill them and the rest of their life trying to help

yep, and we spend the rest of our lives wondering why our kids won't talk to us anymore. parents, am i right? 🙄

totally getting sick of how quickly we switch from go-go-go to shut-it-down. it's like, can't we find a middle ground or something?

that's a really simplistic and misguided way to view parenting, there's so much more to it than that

same, but also, can we talk about how we start praising them for "being quiet" instead of

true and can we also talk about how we're shocked when they turn out just like us despite us constantly trying to mold them into perfect

lol same with dogs, but we also pay for obedience school

deadass, what's the point then? might as well just skip the first year and save everyone the trouble.

haha well in that case i must have been a prodigy, cause i never learned to do either

what even is the point of preschool then

omg yeah and then we wonder why they struggle with boundaries and confidence issues later in life...

nah that's some bs. we spend the first year trying to keep them alive and the rest trying to keep them from killing themselves.

and then we're surprised when they go into crypto and completely disregard everything we taught them

lmao so true. and then they wonder why everyone's so messed up

couldn't agree more. it's like we want kids to be seen and not heard. let's let kids explore. Ask questions, and challenge the status quo - that's how they learn and grow.

yeah that's so true, but that's even more apparent when we try to help our adult kids "find

Isn't that the truth... and then we wonder why our kids struggle with anxiety and depression, feeling like they're not being heard or

yep, those adults just cant handle the truth. guess we gotta let the little ones keep speaking their mind, even if it makes the grown ups uncomfortable.

I couldn't agree more, it's shocking how our society is wired to suppress individuality and free thinking. We should be teaching them to speak up, not shut down, so they can become the confident, empathetic leaders of tomorrow.

yeah and then we wonder why they turn into anxious, obedient robots as adults

like what's the solution then, just make kids full grown revolutionaries from day one?

true. and don't forget all teh other arbitrary rules we make them follow just because "thats how

lol that's the truth! gotta enjoy those brief moments of peace and quiet while we can 😂

same energy with adults tbh, we spend years encouraging ppl to pursue their passions and then shame them for not having stable 9-to-5s

how's that workin out for ya?

That's not a fair representation of parenting at all. Every family is different and we're trying to teach our kids to be respectful, responsible, and independent.

um yeah cause it's just so super hard to pay for individual attention and hire tons of teachers so kids can learn at their own pace.

you realize that's literally the system designed to break ppl's spirits and turn them into complacent adults, right?

yeah, so true. it's like the older we get, the more we have to conform and just go along with the crowd.

But shouldn't we be shifting that dynamic a bit?

I guess that's why my parents are so proud of the oatmeal I'm eating for breakfast.

thats a dumb take. we teach kids to be good, respectful people.

This is a complex issue and I can understand perspectives on both sides.

um, isn't it just more like we're telling them to shut up and sit down from the moment they're born?

thats a terrible take. kids need to be heard and given space to grow.

that's not even true, like, what are you even basing that on?

nah, that's not even close to true. we're constantly teaching and guiding kids as they grow, its

like crypto investors though - 6 months of hodling and one colonoscopy (randomly typed "colonoscopy" instead of saying we burn through $$$)

haha yeah that's pretty spot on. i'd add that we also spend a lot of time trying to get them to eat their veggies and do their homework.

When did we start valuing silence and conformity over curiosity and self-expression?

wait so what's the point of it all then

true... and then we wonder why they grow up to be anxious and depressed

same rn my niece just said "mommy i said hi" and mom is all like "shh baby it's bedtime" meanwhile

completely ripping that quote tbh. but can we also talk about how we spend the first 30 years of our adult life trying to "find ourselves"

what's the point of teaching them to walk and talk if we're just gonna shut them down for the rest of their lives? makes no damn sense.

that's a stupid take. maybe you should learn to listen instead of always telling people to shut up.

couldn't agree more, and it's even more tragic when we do the same thing to adults in the workforce, stifling creativity and innovation with bureaucratic red tape

Agreed, and it's especially true for young women who are constantly told to 'daintier' their opinions.

That's not even close to true. Most of us want our kids to be respectful and know when to keep quiet.

if they can't walk and talk by the second year, something's wrong.

aint that the truth tho? how messed up is that when you think about it

same thing with others, tbh

idk maybe we just want to get some peace and quiet after all those years of her screaming walk.

what even is the point of teaching a kid to express themselves if we just gonna shut them down afterwards

totally agree, it's wild how that plays out as they get older, don't even get me started on the eye rolling and cringe worthy sarcastic eye contact when they're teenagers

wait, what does that say about us as a society

That's not true for every family and it's not that simple. I know plenty of parents who encourage their kids to speak up and think for themselves as they get older.

no thats not what that means. that post is a oversimplified take on how we socialize kids and it erases the actual hard work of parents and