A San Diego woman has dubbed herself the president of the Mean Mom’s Club, and she’s looking for new members.
Maureen Lobue is the author of the “Mean Mom’s Club” and also teaches “mean” parenting techniques at workshops around San Diego County. Her two young sons are now in their twenties.
"Mean mom simply means you set those rules and you enforce them and that's a loving thing to do," said Lobue, who has a master’s degree in education.
She says being a mean mom not about being nasty. She doesn't promote corporal punishment. Her seven rules include: “There’s a difference between need and want…and I’ll tell you which it is.”
Melanie Sheridan, the mother of a seven year old boy, recently sat down for a one-on-one session with Lobue. She said she considered herself a strict mother already.
"No I'm not here to be his friend, he's got plenty of those at school," Sheridan said.
Sheridan hoped to address some minor issues, including getting her son to listen respectfully.
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"You know we've got to keep them safe and we have to teach them to be responsible people and that's not going to happen by being buddy buddies and Facebook friends and all that other stuff," said Sheridan.
If it all sounds like old-fashioned parenting, Lobue agrees and says she learned it all from her own mom, who passed away just a year ago.
"She was no nonsense. And that's really what this is all about- it's common sense it's no nonsense it's respect," said Lobue.