According to reality TV’s new villain, you pretty much are lousy at being a parent. Don’t be too sad about this because Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms doles out advice on how you can can better raise your “coddled” kids. Gee, thanks Abby!
Lifetime has long been the home of movies about women in difficult situations who somehow manage to pull themselves up by their boot straps and better themselves in spite of the meany-men in their lives. Well now it’s slowly reinventing itself ala The History Channel, which used to be the “old footage of World War II network,” and is rolling out reality shows.
Their first big hit is Dance Moms and it’s about to begin its second season of self-esteem challenged mothers and one angry instructor in the form of Abby Lee Miller. Miss Miller recently sat down with FOX411 to remind us all how insufferable she can be and how bad we are as parents.
Here are some highlights:
FOX411: Do you think children are too coddled nowadays?
Miller: Yes. They play blame the victim. I think parents today enable their children to fail. Years ago you had to actually work for something. When dance competitions first started, there was a first, second and third prize, everybody else went home with nothing. Nowadays kids get a trophy for being born. It’s ridiculous. Everybody gets gold or silver or a bronze and it goes on and on and on. It’s like they’re trying to pacify everybody instead of making the kids work to be the best. And you know what? You’re not going to always be the best. There’s somebody else out there, somebody who’s working harder or improves quicker, whatever, and they’re going to win. I don’t think it’s an asset to win all the time. I think it’s good to lose, it builds character. I mean, I want to win all the time because I have enough character! (Laughs).
FOX411: Are you shocked by some of the mothers’ behavior?
Miller: I’m absolutely shocked, and I don’t understand why the kids don’t turn to their mothers and say, ‘You are embarrassing me. Shut up.’ I don’t get it.
FOX411: It’s their parent. They have control.
Miller: That’s the issue, you just said it. The mothers can’t handle that the kids care more about what Abby thinks than what they think. The kids want my approval, they don’t want the mother’s approval and they’re jealous.
FOX411: They want your approval because you’re tough.
Miller: Absolutely. And I say to them all the time, ‘Your mother is the one whose shoulder you’re supposed to cry on. I’m the one that’s supposed to make you cry.’
Here’s a 2-minute sneak peek for the second season which premieres on Lifetime tomorrow at 10PM EST. In this gem you can see Abby yelling at one of the moms about how her dad took her to the mother-daughter menstruation talk.
No. I’m not sure if that was an official event for Abby when she was growing up and none of the other moms seem to understand what it has to do with anything.
