"Go the (expletive) To Sleep . . . demeans children" and comparable to racist humor - Page 2

[Alenushka]

So, what do you think of Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift?  Do you think he is demeaning poor children? Should we start petition against cannibalism in England?

Originally Posted by A&A 

Upon seeing the title, I knew instantly it was a book I wouldn't touch in a million years, let alone pay a dime for.  Joke or no joke, it's demeaning, both to our children and to the work of parenting. 

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by A&A 

Upon seeing the title, I knew instantly it was a book I wouldn't touch in a million years, let alone pay a dime for.  Joke or no joke, it's demeaning, both to our children and to the work of parenting. 

It's not for children.  It's for adults, who feel like they are going to scream after 2 hours of bedtime routines and a child who is SCREAMING - "I WANNA PLAY WITH MY TOOLBOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Yes, my ds just got a toy toolbox, and I'm about to scream b/c he won't do anything without it.  Except eat ice cream, which he's doing very nicely right now.
 

I love this book.  A friend sent it to me after a rough night - and it made me laugh so ridiculously hard, it made it possible for me to go to sleep without pulling all my hair out in frustration.

[yaboobarb]

Think- HBO comedian special-- not PBS!

I think it is pretty funny- taking anger and making it ludicrous. I am all for making fun of myself. :)

BTW- I am all home birthy, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, hold and nurse on demand- attachment parenting and ect, etc etc...

I would not keep it in the house- or but it, but I did have a good chuckle and I sent a link to my sister.

Not for kids though------ -- until they have them... :)
 

[marimara]

I just read this book last night at a friends house and it. is. so. freaking. funny!  no it's not a kids book. it's funny humor for parents.  i think i might pee my pants if I get to hear Samuel Jackson narrate it.  

[Storm Bride]

I didn't really enjoy the book...but I have to admit that it flashed through my mind this morning. DD2 woke me up at about 3:00 this morning, then proceeded to happily bop back and forth from her room (shared with dd1 and ds2), and our room, chatting up a storm in her normal speaking voice. This continued until well after 5:00. She woke me up. She woke dh up. She woke dd1 up. She woke ds2 up (just barely, luckily - he dozed right back off). I spent about 20 minutes singing to her and rubbing her back, and she fell asleep...and then woke up and said "I want to sleep in your bed" - loudly, as I got off the bed. She jumped back and forth from my left breast to my right for I don't know how long. She slid out of our bed, went down the hall and talked to her siblings again "Wake up dd1 - wake up", then went back to our bed, and switched breasts back and forth again.

She eventually fell asleep, and I spent the next couple hours "sleeping", propped on the edge of my bed, afraid I'd fall on the floor. I won't lie "go the f**k to sleep" did cross my mind once or twice. I was sweet, gentle and very patient with dd2...but I really, really, really, really wanted her to go the f**k to sleep. The book seemed funnier at 5:00 this morning than it did when I read it, or when I heard Samuel Jackson narrate it.

If I had kids with more unsettled sleeping patterns, I'd probably own it.

[Imakcerka]

Holy laugh my butt off HILARIOUS!  I have begged bribed cried... I've done it all!  Under my breath I've cursed DD1  out.    She would not sleep!  Maybe 4 hours.  Maybe.  I had routines... and basically they were for me after awhile. 

If you can't find the humor in this then I just don't know.    Now to get DD1 to sleep I seriously have to rub her back, rub her big ole flintstone feet/flappers.  I even give her melatonin 1/2 mg thanks to advice from some friends.  And now she will fall asleep within two hours of her bed time... Oh sweet back stabbing Judas life is grand after 10 pm!

[muldey]

I love this book!I own a copy,and I've shown it to others who thought it was hilarious too.My dd read it(she's 13,so no big deal).I still feel that way about ds,10.The kid will not sleep!!He just keeps talking,getting up,asking me for certain toys,just driving me nuts lol.

[rainbow_mandala]

This post has been removed due to privacy reasons.

Edited by rainbow_mandala - 11/16/12 at 4:37pm

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by rainbow_mandala 

I find it to be pretty tasteless humor, but it's definitely funny for what it is.  I'm just not into throwing cuss words around in order to make something funny...it's pretty immature and misses the point of real humor, imo.  I can understand why many parents would find it funny, especially because we're not supposed to have negative feelings when it comes to our kids.  Umm, well, who hasn't felt frustrated when their baby or toddler keeps waking them up several times in one night??  It's natural.  This book, though, didn't really make me laugh...it mostly made me feel sad, I think because even during the times when I've been the most sleep-deprived, I wasn't ever aggravated to the point of wanting to say "go the f$*% to sleep" because it's not their fault.  To me, directing the frustration to innocent children who truly don't mean anyone harm is senseless and basically a form of objectification.

Oh, I was. I never said it to her, but I have a 18 month old that sleeps on average about 9 hours in a period of 24 (including "naps"). She has always been that way, and sometimes you just want her to go.to.bed.

[Imakcerka]

Uh... I thought it often. When you're sleep deprived and your kid only sleeps 4 hours a night, you tend to go mentally ballistic! But humor is all subjective. You either think it's funny or you don't. And having listened to it being read by Samuel Jackson makes it even better. Seriously try working 12 hour rotation shifts (DH too) getting up super early to run in formation and try not to think these kind of thoughts. Half the time I'd be laughing at myself when I would think things like that. Like really is this what sleep deprivation has done to me?

DH and I listened to it the other day and wow the memories flooded back. "Remember when you found me asleep on the living room floor still in uniform with DD1 sitting on my back eating cheerios?" I mean this kid wouldn't sleep! And the Dr's all of them, said she was just fine and she was she just didn't need more at the time and didn't want to miss a thing!

[Zan&Zav]

I need a sequel in my house, called "why wont you @#&ing  EAT?"

 I have it all wrote out in my head lol

[Imakcerka]

Zan you should start writing it right now! I would totally read it! Also Flush the &^%$ing toilet! That would be good. I don't want to know what the DD's produced! Gee whiz!

[Subhuti]

I work in a library and it came across my desk.

I found it funny in concept ... but it had such a dark/hostile undertone, I just wanted to get it out my hands.

I mean ... as frustrated as I am at times with my kids ... I've never felt that kind of hostility towards them.

Wanting to F-bomb your kids??  

Don't get it.

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by Zan&Zav 

I need a sequel in my house, called "why wont you @#&ing  EAT?"

 I have it all wrote out in my head lol

Now that's the book I really need as my 6 year old has progressed from being a lousy sleeper to a lousy eater. Just last night I made one of the few meals she still eats, and of course I was met with...this chicken is different. Ugh...really I wanted to yell "why won't you eat?" LOL

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Subhuti 

I work in a library and it came across my desk.

I found it funny in concept ... but it had such a dark/hostile undertone, I just wanted to get it out my hands.

I mean ... as frustrated as I am at times with my kids ... I've never felt that kind of hostility towards them.

Wanting to F-bomb your kids??  

Don't get it.

The book isn't my kind of humour, but I didn't find it particuarly hostile. Some people swear a lot, and the "F-bomb" isn't so much hostile as frustrated. I use it a lot (not at my kids, admittedly) and it's almost always sheer frustration and has nothing to do with hostility at all.
 

[Imakcerka]

Yeah it's not really meant to promote abusive words. More to express how "some" parents feel periodically.
Here are my gripes

Why can't you stay dressed
Why can't you flush the toilet
Why won't you brush your teeth
Why do you keep biting your sisters butt... seriously... big issue
Why do you fight showers


We get frustrated and we all have different types of humor.

[Thursday Girl]

Originally Posted by Imakcerka 

Zan you should start writing it right now! I would totally read it! Also Flush the &^%$ing toilet! That would be good. I don't want to know what the DD's produced! Gee whiz!

haha that's the one I need!! I finally got my 8 year old to flush her poo for I think the first time today, but she dropped her poopy toilet paper on the seat and it stuck. UGGH

as for the f-word, to me it's not that big of a deal,  I thought the book was funny but it did get to be a bit too much as you got further into it. my 8 year old heard us playing it and it didn't bother me and it didn't bother her, Heck I think she has probably thought the same thing a few times when her little sister first moved into her room.

[youngspiritmom]

I get that it's a joke, and I totally get just wanting your kid to SLEEP already! But I don't find it funny at all - I agree that something about violent language associated with a child is unsettling. I agree about the last lines in the article that many parents actually express this language and rage to their kids. :(

[Adaline'sMama]

I'm sorry, but I just dont find a word to be "violent". Its a word. In this situation is it primarly used to excentuate that you really want the child to go to sleep. Its the same thing as saying "Go really really quickly, right now, immediately, without pause to sleep. NOW. because Im tired of dealing with you being fussy and whiny when I know that you are sleepy and you need to go to bed." The F word is much shorter than that. Obviously, I dont think you should tell you child to go the F to sleep, but its a book written for adults, with an adult sense of humor. And I really dont find what people consider to be cuss words "violent". A word in and of itself is not violent, its how you use it, and in this case I dont think its violent.

[journeymom]

Eh, I get what Youngspiritmom is saying.  If someone told me 'f*** you!', depending on who it was, it would feel like a slap in the face.  Or to widen the example, if my daughter or husband called me a 'bitch', I'd feel like I'd been hit. 

its how you use it, and in this case I dont think its violent.

I agree, context matters.  I don't think this picture book would have succeeded at all if it was written from the point of view of an uninvolved, unloving, hostile adult just cussing up a blue streak at a child.