Follow Up: Best. Mom. Ever. (Toya Graham)

[JoanMcWench]

If you're unaware of what I'm referring to click here. We'll wait...

Here's an interview with Anderson Cooper involving both the mother AND her son:
[video=youtube;TbDcDaNJ7eo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbDcDaNJ7eo[/video]

 

[JoanMcWench]

Had to post twice because there were TWO videos

Now the expected stupidity:
[video=youtube;hhe-9MyeA3U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhe-9MyeA3U[/video]

So, come to find that a mother doing her job never goes unpunished.

 

[lushlala]

Wow, I have so much respect for this woman! I don't tire of watching the clip at all. In a world where we have parents defending this thuggish behaviour and even participating in it themselves, it's very refreshing. I feel that all those people criticising her about "her abuse of her son", are why we're where we are now with wayward, unruly and ill-behaved children. People pussyfoots around their children and mollycoddles them. I'm sorry, but this was the old school version of keeping your child in line, and that's what works! No amount of softly-softly ever really does it, sadly!

 

[Josie]

Really tired of people saying the opposite of coddling children is hitting them. That without hitting them, they turn into entitled, unruly brats. BOTH are wrong. The argument is seriously, seriously, flawed.

I'm glad she got him out of there and I don't for a second think this will damage him for life or that she's a bad mother.. I'm just saying it was completely unnecessary.

 

[Gabe]

While it's good to see mother's take their roles seriously there are many that don't. I still don't think parents know what their children really get up to, so while it may be a deterrent, there are some children that will behave badly and try to get away with things.

 

[Diane Lane]

i've worked with many parents and children/adolescents, and the parents often feel they have no recourse, other than to give in to the children, because the kids threaten to call CPS (Child Protective Services), regardless of whether or not they are hit. Those children have no idea of what will happen if they do call CPS. They seem to think they will be taken to a magical place where they will be handed iPads and video gaming systems, and live in mansions with servants. Foster homes are often not desirable places to be, as many find out when they're taken there, and once in the system, it's often difficult for parents to fight their way through the system and get their children back. Perhaps we should have volunteers who've been through the system on call to explain this to the children. CPS exists for a reason, and it's not for cases like this, where a mother is obviously past the breaking point, out of concern over her child and his well being.

 

[katherine25]

Wait.. shes being charged with child abuse charges.. is that for real or a rumor? That's a joke if its true! I have so much respect for this mother and if that was my son I would have done the exact same thing, good for her!

 

[dyanmarie25]

Though I somehow respect this mother, I am not really in favor of her hitting her own son in public. I mean, that would have embarrassed the kid. He would feel degraded. I wish she just talked to him calmly without having to attract everyone's attention. Just saying.

 

[Patrick]

I think child abuse charges are really a grey area. Parents should be able to discipline their children, using corporal punishment if necessary. However it's tricky since we can't define how much physical treatment is too much. Personally I don't think she should be guilty of child abuse at all.

 

[Josie]

There are grey areas for sure, but at the same time, EVERYone else is allowed to defend themselves and/or are protected by law. Why is it the smallest and most helpless of us all, are not allowed this simple right. To not be hit. We can ALL learn without it.. nobody has a good enough argument for me that it's necessary, ever.. all children are different, but all children are smart enough to learn without physical punishment. And no, they won't become feral brats without it. I've worked with enough children to know that those who defend it, are dead wrong. Just my two cents though. If a child can't be protected, then adults shouldn't be either.

 

[katherine25]

Did you guys not see what was happening that day? He should have been embarrassed to have even been apart of it. His mother hitting him was far less embarrassing. If he wasn't out there burning buildings and destroying peoples hard earned businesses than it would have never happened. I hope he was embarrassed and learned something from this.

 

[Josie]

Agreed. Totally. Still unnecessary lol..

 

[JoanMcWench]

Wait.. shes being charged with child abuse charges.. is that for real or a rumor? That's a joke if its true! I have so much respect for this mother and if that was my son I would have done the exact same thing, good for her!

Not a rumour. Seems like the Baltimore City Department of Social Services Child Protective Services felt it would not be in the best interest of the other children to ignore the 'violence' in the video.