For shame...

There seems to be a new trend lately, and I have no idea how, why, or where this started. I've seen pictures on Pinterest boards and Facebook pages, mostly of house pets but some with small children.  All of the animals and the little kids have just the saddest looks on their faces... the children look like they're about to cry, and the pets (mostly dogs) look as if they've seen their last day and have been screamed at for the last ten minutes.

And what do they all have in common? They made a mistake. And the parents of the little kids, and the owners of the pets.... they have written out a sign announcing to the world their terrible lapse of judgement. For example: "I ate my crayons and then got sick on mom's sofa."  or  "I ate the cat's food after eating my dog food."  or  "I chewed up mom's favorite pair of shoes."  or  "I spilled a whole box of Cheerios on my mom's clean kitchen floor."

The signs are then suspended with ribbon or string around the child's or dog's neck, and then a photo is taken and posted on Pinterest or Facebook.... or, at the very least, eMailed to every friend and relative on someone's calling list.

Now, honestly. Is that necessary?  Does it make those people feel better, to be "shaming" their child or their pets and have the mistake or error in judgment announced to everyone they know?  Have these people nothing better to do? Or is it possible that the ones doing the shaming are so perfectly perfect that their world is shattered by a mess on the kitchen floor or a ruined pair of shoes?

As Bill O'Reilly would say:  "Wise up, people!"

Your child is a part of you, and there's no one your child trusts more than his/her parents.  There is nothing to be gained by embarrassing your child by "shaming" them on the Internet.   Your pet, whether it be a dog or a cat, holds you in such high esteem that you'd be surprised how much love their little hearts can hold for you.

So before you write that sign and take that photo, and before you scream at your child or your pet for what you consider to be a life-altering moment like a spilled glass of milk or a chewed-up pillow... take a moment to consider how less-than-perfect you yourself have been for the years you've spent on this planet.

Stop screaming at your children. Stop shaming your pets. And if you feel you have to shame someone, then shame on you!