Time Out on the "Time Outs"

Ok so i don’t know about you, but when i was growing up there was no such thing as a “time out”. I can just lol to the thought because even hearing those words coming out of my parents mouth would have been hilarious. See, when we acted up or misbehaved or answered back, there were no words..lol..no, there were just actions. I am not saying my parents beat me because that is not true, slightly beating would be more accurate..lol. No seriously, I don’t think I would have been trembling if my parents would threaten me with a 5 minute break away on a step. Not even when I was 3. It was Diana get over here, slap on the ass. It was done and over with all in a matter of 10 seconds. I cried and they felt satisfied..lol. (beating was a big stress reliever back then..lol.) We as parents today have to threaten once and then wait (because we all know they are going to do it again) and then boom, use the “ok Joseph, now you are going on a time out.” Then we wait, are they going to listen (and your thinking please listen and don’t move, please listen and don’t move), low and behold, they don’t listen. So in the advice of SuperNanny..(british accent) “You must keep putting them there using no words until they remain in the position and the spot you placed them in”..lol...lol..lol..I want to know what happens to those families after the cameras stop rolling and while Ms. Supernanny is out tanning her kidless ass somewhere??? Sometimes my mother would use the “time out” thing but it was more of a “time gone for 3 hours of the evening in my room” kind of thing. And me calling from the stairs (while she was enjoying the time away from me watching St.Elsewhere or something like that)...”ma,can i come down now”..no response..”Ma,can i come down now”..no response..so my voice got louder..”ma, can i come down now”..and then all at once..my mother yells “I said NO”..and i am thinking..you didn’t say anything because you didn’t even answer me..lol. So that was my mother’s version of a time out. Nowadays all these child therapists and specialists say “don’t slap, don’t yell, don’t curse, just give them a time out and that will teach them”..umm I don’t know, but I clearly remember the lines that came out of my mother’s mouth when she was running towards me with the hard wooden Italian slipper..”Come here..I’ll teach you”..lol..and let me tell you this..she did teach me...she taught me that Italian leather does hurt more than the “imitation leather”..lol. Ahh the good old days of kids fearing their parents, not fear like in a horror movie, but fear like..oh shit, thats gonna hurt if I get caught kind of fear. Respect was a big thing in my home (you know like Aretha Franklin R-E-S-P-E-C-T) I guess that’s an Italian thing like a Tony Soprano (it’s all about respect), so anyway my father was big on that and if God forbid we didn’t salute a neighbour, aunt, cousin, milkman or anyone older than us with a big smile and a hello then we’d get the “look”. So we pretty much kissed and said hello to almost anyone and everyone over 5 feet. My kids are pretty polite too with guests..lol..except they are warned about 50 times before they get there to be polite and maybe slightly rewarded afterwards..lol. Fear, it worked for my parents..i still love them and loved then at the time (except my mother in my rebellious teenage years..lol). I am not saying that us parents today should go out buy 3 wooden spoons and beat our little holy terrors, all I am saying is that most of us got a little tap, slap and bite here and there, and guess what..i survived to tell the tale..lol.
That’s my peace today!

Pasta e Fagioli
1 pack Ditalli pasta
1 can of canellini beans
1/2 White Onion finely chopped
1/4 cup pancetta
2 cup water
Salt 1tsp
Olive Oil

Boil pasta as directed on package. Put aside. On high heat, In a medium size pot, pour oil heat and add onions and pancetta, sautee for about 3-5 minutes. Add beans and sautee for another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water (the beans will become a creamy consistency) then add rest of water, salt to taste. When it reaches a boil lower to medium, until slightly thick add cooked pasta.