Sharon Osbourne
"She's got such a great laugh"
That's what Ozzy says attracted to him to his wife of over twenty years. And if you have even just peeked in on an episode of "The Osbournes", you were bound to have heard the laugh. She lets it all go. There's no holding back. Only, it's not annoying. You don't have a desire to shove a towel in her mouth to shut her up, instead you join her laughing. It's the most contagious laugh on television and if you don't believe me, see for yourself. Although MTV has screwed us out of a few episodes and marathons, they do show a rerun here and there.
Sharon runs the show. She does it all. Well, almost. So she's not the stereotype of what we Americans assume a mother should be, but families can learn alot from Sharon's techniques.
Here's a comparison:
Typical Mom: First, goes over and politely asks them to quiet down. She instructs her children to just ignore them. After the behavior continues, Mom calls the cops and asks them to deal with it.
Sharon: Throws fruit and bagels over the fence, insults the noise-makers, permits her children to go next door and scream obscenities, and laughs hysterically when her husband throws wood over the fence and breaks a window.
WINNER: Sharon
Typical Mom: Says, "Of course, dear, I didn't think anyone was hungry. I'll make dinner now."
Sharon: Tells Kelly she doesn't like the smell of cooking.
WINNER: Sharon
Typical Mom: First, grounds her. Next, forces her to go to counseling to get to the root of the problem and to find out what has triggered this rebellious behavior. Then, monitors all outings, demands to know where she goes at all times as well as who she is going to be with.
Sharon: Calls all the mothers trying to find out who gave Kelly pot. Gets angry at Kelly but no permanent results arise. Kelly is still allowed to hang out with her friends without restrictions and her mother only asks that Kelly tells her these things.
WINNER: Sharon
Typical Mom: Lies to the children about the reason why Dad wants to be alone. Waits for Dad to get back from his trip, and then they have a small celebration with a little cake and ice cream.
Sharon: First, tells Kelly and Jack that Ozzy wanted to be alone. Although they feel a little insulted, they understand he just needs alone time. Then, Sharon rounds up the kids and they head to Chicago (?) to surprise Ozzy. Sharon knows her husband better than anyone and knows that he will regret wanting to be alone. Instead of forcing him to be lonely, she travels with the children to surprise him, knowing he will be happy.
WINNER: Sharon
THE SITUATION: Neighbors are playing their music too loud.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: Shows the kids that people can walk all over them; teaches them that kindness does not kill, and finally, the kids will learn to rely on others to solve their problems for them.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: Don't let others have control over your life. Confront the situation immediately and directly. Don't beat around the bush. It also teaches that respect must be earned. If someone disrespects you when you haven't done anything to them....they don't deserve your respect.
THE SITUATION: Your 16-year old daughter wants you to cook her something.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: That a woman's place is in the kitchen. It also discourages independence, the daughter will rely on her mothers nurturing and caretaking and will spend the rest of her life phoning her mother whenever life throws her the tiniest problem.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: Independence. Kelly must learn to fend for herself. Also teaches that no amount of whining and complaining will get you what you want.
THE SITUATION: You find out your daughter has smoked pot.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: It teaches the daughter that experimentation is wrong in all situations. She learns that her mother doesn't trust her and will spend the rest of her life hiding any truths from her mom that might harm her. She stops telling her mother anything. Counseling makes her angry because she was just trying something out and doesn't have any hidden complex. Her mothers treatment forces the daughter into actual rebellion and defiance because she can't stand her whole life being controlled. The daugther feels like a disappoinment to her a mother.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: Teenage life is all about experiments and learning from your mistakes. Teaches Kelly that it's safe to talk to her mother about things. Teaches Kelly that her mother loves her no matter what she does.
THE SITUATION: Dad is in a bad mood and decides to travel alone and be by himself on his birthday.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: The teenage children are not stupid and realize something is wrong. They, therefore, think either their parents marriage is breaking up or that their dad hates them. The post-trip party is filled with anxiety and plastic smiles. Dad, who spent his real birthday alone, feels resentment towards his family even though it was his own decision to be alone; he hadn't really meant it.
WHAT THIS TEACHES: Sometimes people need alone time, and sometimes people make decisions without thinking. Never let your stubborness get in the way of making someone happy. Family is most important. Avoiding things is never the way to go. A Husband and a Wife know each other better than anyone else, and that's important.
More coming soon........