This was mean....but hilarious!

[NanceXToo]

Jimmy Kimmel challenges parents to trick their kids by telling them that they (they parents) ate all the kids' Halloween candy. And record the kids' reactions. He then put together this clip of different kids and their reactions. Okay I admit, I felt kind of bad for the younger ones who just started crying. But some of these kids and reactions are hilarious and I know you guys are all going to love the two boys at the very end of the video! :D

 

 

[In2why]

Awwww! The last two were adorable. I loved how the oldest was so loving to the youngest.

I am afraid my son would have been one of the ugly ones.......I am not going to tape it, but I am going to tell my boys I ate it all when they get up this morning just to see their initial reaction before I tell them I am joking. I guess I am a mean mom too.

[TN Mama]

A few of my fb friends posted this yesterday and the kids and I got a good laugh. Dd10 said she couldn't believe how the kids were acting... and I quickly informed her that I fully expected she'd pitch a big fit (possibly with tears) if we'd done the same to her. :D She's thankful we didn't.

 

And yes, the two at the end cracked me up!

[Word Nerd]

Considering that their parents see nothing wrong with lying to and teasing their kids to provoke a reaction (sounds like bullying to me) just because a talk show host tells them to, I'm not surprised some of the kids reacted poorly. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't see the humor.

Edited November 5, 2011 by WordGirl

[ChristusG]

I saw it on FB yesterday and thought it was HILARIOUS! My 7 year old would totally be that first child that fell on the floor. Maybe I will try this next year LOL.

[mom2scouts]

My kids ate all their Halloween candy days ago and my dd is always willing to share if I ask her for a piece. It wouldn't get much reaction here.

[pqr]

While I agree that it was neither kind nor appropriate I think that the video offered a real insight into the children and the means by which they were raised.

 

I have to say that if my child started screaming and tearing things off the wall that WOULD be the end of any candy and a few other things.

 

I hope mine would have behaved like the last pair.

 

Crying is certainly understandable, especially for the younger ones but a tantrum and name calling...never.

[TN Mama]

While I agree that it was neither kind nor appropriate I think that the video offered a real insight into the children and the means by which they were raised.

 

I have to say that if my child started screaming and tearing things off the wall that WOULD be the end of any candy and a few other things.

 

I hope mine would have behaved like the last pair.

 

Crying is certainly understandable, especially for the younger ones but a tantrum and name calling...never.

 

I did think the child who hit the wall and ripped something off the wall needed an intervention.

[jentancalann]

I did think the child who hit the wall and ripped something off the wall needed an intervention.

 

Most definitely.

[Live2Ride]

the two at the end were so cute..."Mom, you're going to get a bellyache! That was two bags of candy!"

 

The other one that laughed and pulled out his nerds from what looked like, under his pillow, was funny too. He was like "Na uh!" shaking his little box of nerds, lol!

 

Mine wouldn't care. Teaching sharing is not always easy. Some kids just don't take to it well. :tongue_smilie:

[Janie Grace]

Considering that their parents see nothing wrong with lying to and teasing their kids to provoke a reaction (sounds like bullying to me) just because a talk show host tells them to, I'm not surprised some of the kids reacted poorly. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't see the humor.

 

:iagree: I'm with you. I must be a stick in the mud.

[EKS]

Considering that their parents see nothing wrong with lying to and teasing their kids to provoke a reaction (sounds like bullying to me) just because a talk show host tells them to, I'm not surprised some of the kids reacted poorly. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't see the humor.

 

:iagree:

 

What these parents did (or pretended to do) was a betrayal. I think the kids were more hurt by that than anything else.

[lmrich]

I can't understand how the kids didn't think it was odd that their parents were videotaping them. (is it still called videotaping if it is done digitally?) My kids would have asked first why are you recording this. I did laugh outloud.

[ChristusG]

Teaching sharing is not always easy. Some kids just don't take to it well. :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:

 

My 7 year old would be the first one, who fell on the floor. We have worked with her and worked with her on sharing, but she is just a naturally stingy child. My 4 year old is not. It doesn't always have anything to do with how a child is raised. Now if my child called me a name (such as the one who called their father ugly) or ripped something off the wall, you can better bet that their candy would then *really* be gone.

 

I still thought the video was funny. :lol:

[Snickerdoodle]

The last two were so dang cute.

 

The little one said, "2 + 2 = 5" and the big brother said, "Oh, DJ, you were so close!"

[In the Rain]

Honestly, I thought it was really mean of the parents to do that. Posting the video publicly was even worse. Especially for the older kids, I think it would be humiliating. :glare: I would have turned it off except I wanted to see the last two boys. I will agree they were adorable. :001_smile:

 

ETA: I do tease my kids sometimes- but I don't go that far.

[twoforjoy]

Depending on the child's personality and the parent/child relationship, I think it could either be really mean or just really funny. I asked DS what he'd do if I told him I ate all of his candy, and he said he wouldn't believe me. And, that's probably true. He knows that I wouldn't do something like that but that I probably would joke about it. ;) If a family is more joke-y/prank-y, and the kids have the kind of personalities where they are okay with that, I don't think it's a big deal, at all. Healthy families can operate in many different ways, and I think that being kind of prank-y can be one of them.

 

But, I also don't think the kids who got really angry were reacting in a disturbed way. The Halloween candy was theirs. Somebody taking your stuff without permission is mean and wrong. And, little kids don't have the ability to control their reactions the way that adults do. I'm not sure how we'd expect a child to respond to an adult saying they ate all of their Halloween candy, if they really believed them. "Oh, no problem"? Kids are simply not developmentally capable, much of the time, of controlling their emotions, and they also often lack appropriate ways to express those emotions they can't control. If somebody did play this joke on their child, and their child called them a name, I think it would be horrible to really take that kids' candy away. Use it as an opportunity to talk to them about appropriate ways to express their anger, but punishing them for responding badly to a joke that, if they really believe it, is mean seems extra mean.

[EKS]

:iagree:

 

My 7 year old would be the first one, who fell on the floor. We have worked with her and worked with her on sharing, but she is just a naturally stingy child. My 4 year old is not. It doesn't always have anything to do with how a child is raised. Now if my child called me a name (such as the one who called their father ugly) or ripped something off the wall, you can better bet that their candy would then *really* be gone.

 

I still thought the video was funny. :lol:

 

Frankly, this isn't about sharing, it's about stealing and betrayal of trust.

[twoforjoy]

Frankly, this isn't about sharing, it's about stealing and betrayal of trust.

 

I don't think it's necessarily about betrayal of trust. That depends on the family dynamic and the child's personality.

 

But, yeah, it's about stealing, not sharing. If the parent said, "Can I have one of your Halloween candies?" and the child responded by hitting the wall and calling the parent a name, THAT would indeed indicate a sharing problem.

 

Getting angry when somebody steals your stuff does not indicate a sharing problem.

[EKS]

I don't think it's necessarily about betrayal of trust. That depends on the family dynamic and the child's personality.

 

 

It's a betrayal because the child trusts the parent not to eat his "hard won" candy, something that can't really be replaced, and the parent betrays that trust.

 

I think people are focusing on the frivolity of Halloween candy and thinking it's funny, but if these parents did the same thing, but instead of candy they told the child that they gave away his puppy, I think the humor would evaporate.

[chepyl]

I think it was done in fun. I don't think people expected those reactions. I did it to my kids, not because of Jimmy Kimmel - it's just they way we are....we joke around. My son had a blank look and just stared at me, then said "no you didn't." He then claimed in a chair to look in his bucket. It was fun.

[Mimm]

Aw, I laughed but I felt sorry for them. Kids have a very limited perspective, it's not JUST candy to them. It's a big deal. Even at my kid's ages they would be upset if I went and ate all their candy after they went to bed. Not just because it's candy, but because it's a violation of trust and they would consider it greedy and selfish. They don't mind us sneaking some of their candy (we joke about "candy taxes") but to gobble it all up in one night? Yikes. :)

 

Anyway, I don't think it's such a big deal to joke and tease your kids. I'm sure the kids were all smiles when they found out that they really did have their candy back. And those boys at the end were so cute!

 

"2 plus 2 is five!"

"Actually it's four. You were SO close!"

:lol::lol:

[Jennifer3141]

That was HILARIOUS!!!

 

I loved the girl who yelled, "Dad, you're ugly!" And the boys are the end were awesome.

 

Thanks Nance!

[luvnlattes]

I must be a stick in the mud.

 

I guess I am too. I started to watch it but I felt bad for the kids that their parents were lying to them to get a reaction, so I turned it off after about the third one.

[Unicorn.]

That was hilarious! The little boys at the end were precious!

[leeannpal]

I guess I am too. I started to watch it but I felt bad for the kids that their parents were lying to them to get a reaction, so I turned it off after about the third one.

 

I think it could lead to a lack of trust in the parents. How will the kids know if the parents are telling the truth or just joking around? Posting the videos is in really poor taste too.

[catz]

That was hilarious! The little boys at the end were precious!

 

:iagree: Those boys at the end so reminded me of my son a few years ago. So cute! We joke at our house all the time, so I had no problems with this clip.

[myfatherslily]

1) I wouldn't do it.

 

2) I thought it was still hilarious and I seriously doubt any of the kids were scarred emotionally for the rest of their lives.

 

3) I bought my own bag of candy this year so this wouldn't be reality in my house... Mommy has little self-control when it comes to candy ;)

[Denisemomof4]

those two boys were ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest submarines]

That wasn't a lesson in sharing! It was the lesson of "I'm big and you're small." A lesson in sharing is, "Bobby, I'm really craving something sweet, could I have some of our candy please?" And even then, the child has the right to say, "I'm sorry, I don't feel like sharing just yet." It is their property. It is something still new to them, as they just acquired it, and it is something that they treasure.

 

 

And you know what's really disturbing? That the little ones believed their parents. This only tells me that they are used to being treated with no respect. I just asked DD and DS whether they would have believed me, and they said NO WAY. It wouldn't occur to them that I can just take their property away, especially something that they treasured, with no reason or explanation.

 

 

Here's my challenge. See how the parents would react if their child told them, "Guess what, I took your video camera without permission and accidently dropped it." I doubt many would say, "Aw, what a lesson in sharing. Wanna grab something else of mine, sweetie?"

 

 

I'm disgusted with how our culture treats children like a commodity. Adults rushing for their 15 seconds of fame, at the expense of their children.

 

I need :chillpill:. Thank you.

[I talk to the trees]

It's a betrayal because the child trusts the parent not to eat his "hard won" candy, something that can't really be replaced, and the parent betrays that trust.

 

I think people are focusing on the frivolity of Halloween candy and thinking it's funny, but if these parents did the same thing, but instead of candy they told the child that they gave away his puppy, I think the humor would evaporate.

:iagree:Not funny. Not funny at all.

[nrg]

:iagree: Cruel , immature joke that says more about the parents who would subject their children to such meanness than the reactions of the children. What would those parents do if their child came to them saying s/he had eaten the mom's chocolate stash? Barbaric and disrespectful.

[twoxcell]

That was terrible:001_huh:!

[elizabeth]

Considering that their parents see nothing wrong with lying to and teasing their kids to provoke a reaction (sounds like bullying to me) just because a talk show host tells them to, I'm not surprised some of the kids reacted poorly. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't see the humor.

 

:iagree: I thought it abysmal and consider that if someone thought it funny that emotional sadism is their cup of tea.

[laundrycrisis]

Considering that their parents see nothing wrong with lying to and teasing their kids to provoke a reaction (sounds like bullying to me) just because a talk show host tells them to, I'm not surprised some of the kids reacted poorly. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't see the humor.

 

:iagree: I don't think it is kind or respectful for adults to intentionally upset their kids so they can have a laugh. IMO it's horrible.

Edited November 5, 2011 by laundrycrisis

[AvasMom]

I think it was done in fun. I don't think people expected those reactions. I did it to my kids, not because of Jimmy Kimmel - it's just they way we are....we joke around. My son had a blank look and just stared at me, then said "no you didn't." He then claimed in a chair to look in his bucket. It was fun.

 

:iagree: Some people take themselves WAY too seriously. No wonder some kids have issues. :glare: My ds would totally have been the kid at the end. I thought that guy was soo cute!

[meggie]

I cried that parents would do that to their children. Yes, I think different kids can handle it and it depends on family dynamic and personalities. But I know Pigby would have cried if I told him that. Not thrown a fit, but just cried. I wouldn't do this to him. He willing shared his candy with us, I think that's pretty telling of the kid he is.

[Jennifer in MI]

I couldn't watch past the first two. I felt so bad for the kids. These weren't brats, they were kids who had been disappointed by an action of their mom. One of them just seemed so sad. That's how my daughter would have been and it would break my heart to see her cry like that.

 

We don't eat much candy around here. So, when they have some, it's a real treat. My kids surely would have cried. But, that does not make them spoiled brats who wouldn't share. That makes them disappointed children.

[twoxcell]

If the fact that parents lied to there kids and intentionally made them cry wasn't enough, they sent it out for the world to see and laugh at them. I find the second part most disturbing. I would have been mortified by that as a child.

[AvasMom]

My kids thought the reaction of most of them was pathetic. *shrug* They said they would just say I needed to head to the store to replace it. lol! But then again, my kids aren't fragile either. We don't raise them to be.

[AnnaM]

I thought I was going to head over to see that I was the only one who didnt enjoy it. So glad I am not alone. I thought for the most part it was cruel and uneccessary.

 

My children wouldnt have believed me, but these parents were purposely hoping for a crying response. Or at the least a dramatic response. It was selfish and teaches children that it is ok to be cruel as long as you get a laugh.

[Guest submarines]

My kids thought the reaction of most of them was pathetic. *shrug* They said they would just say I needed to head to the store to replace it. lol! But then again, my kids aren't fragile either. We don't raise them to be.

 

Your kids are 9 and 13. The kids in the videos were all much younger than that.

 

If you raise your children that being betrayed and humiliated by their parents is okay, and think that doing otherwise is raising fragile children, then, seriously :confused::confused::confused:.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

There's something kind of sick about it.

 

I joke around with my son, but that's not the same as lying to him to see how he'll react. My goal in joking around is to make him laugh, not cry.

 

I don't understand people who would do this to their kids.

[twoforjoy]

if these parents did the same thing, but instead of candy they told the child that they gave away his puppy, I think the humor would evaporate.

 

Sometimes DS will ask where his brother or sister is (he can never seem to keep track of where everybody in the house is), and I'll tell him I sold them, and that's okay with him, right? He thinks it's funny.

[Guest submarines]

Sometimes DS will ask where his brother or sister is (he can never seem to keep track of where everybody in the house is), and I'll tell him I sold them, and that's okay with him, right? He thinks it's funny.

 

That's different.

[AnnaM]

That's different.

 

 

:iagree:

 

I tell my kids this too sometimes, but the difference is they know it can't really happen. Now if my children ever really thought that I had sold one of their sibblings, I would immediately stop using that as a joke. The candy thing however, is something that could really happen. There is a difference.

[Guest lahmeh]

Yeah, I don't see the humor either. :confused:

[5kidsforME]

:iagree: I thought it abysmal and consider that if someone thought it funny that emotional sadism is their cup of tea.

 

 

 

:001_huh:

[arghmatey]

I laughed at the first one and then realized what a jerk I was being. Those poor children.

 

Here I am, trying to teach my kids to tell the truth and to trust me, standing up to bullies in every day life, and then laughing at the video.

 

Ugh. So disappointed in myself for my initial reaction and have prayed about it a lot. =(

[kalanamak]

Regarding parenting, personality, and child development, I never hear it discussed here, so I'm posting this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Series

 

If you are interested in child development, and how they think, and how what they are young is related to how they are old, start with

7 Up, and progress with these kids. Really fascinating.