Twitter Mom Still on My Mind

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

23 Jan 2009 10:02 AM

I can't stop thinking about the Twitter mom who got tweeted on for threatening to smother her young daughter... and I know I am not the only parent who is struggling to comes to terms with the incident.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Twitter mom controversy, read on:

A few weeks ago a "mommy blogger" on Twitter (an online website, which allows posters to discuss what they are thinking or doing at any given time in 140 characters or less), who goes by the name of Thordora, tweeted something that alarmed others in the Twitter community.

In a moment of utter frustration and fatigue Thordora tweeted the following:

"If I smother my 3 year old, who will NOT GO TO F****** SLEEP, is it REALLY a crime?"

That tweet set off several Twitter followers. Some wondered whether Thordora was contemplating killing her child. After all, readers of Thordora's blog know that she is bipolar and that she often blogs about feeling burdened and overwhelmed at times. On the flip side, Thordora is also known for being quite sarcastic in her blog entries and this wasn't the first time she used the f-word in her tweet.

That said, the reason Thordora's tweet made headlines was because it prompted one Twitter follower to notify Twitter bigwigs, who then called the police to check on the child's safety. The cops ended up paying Thordora and her sleeping daughter a visit a few hours later... much to Thordora's chagrin. She later shared her resentment with fellow Twitterers. Her post-police visit entry was titled: "Watch what you twitter, big sister is watching."

In her post Thordora explained her side of the story on her blog. She alleges that she was extremely tired and that she "yelled, threatened and cajoled" her 3-year-old daughter to get into bed. At 11 p.m. the cops came knocking. Thordora reveals that she was forced to open the door to her daughter's bedroom and show the sleeping child to the police to prove her child was just fine.

"So lesson learned ladies," Thordora wrote in her tweet. "Don't do any venting in public. Don't network. Don't show anything LESS than perfect bliss..."

That tweet then ushered in a new flood of responses. Some sympathized with the stressed out mother, while others were appalled that she said what she said. One reader wrote: "I would rather see someone err on the side of caution than to turn a deaf ear on what could be a cry for help. ...The little bit of inconvenience you were subjected to tonight was nothing in comparison to the level of discomfort we were all feeling."

I don't Twitter or tweet or let the f-word fly when I can't get my kid to sleep. However, Thordora's incident still resonated with me because I do blog. Fortunately, I employ a semblance of social responsibility when I discuss personal matters in the echo chamber that is the Internet (at least I think I do).

Did you hear about Thordora before reading this blog? If so, what did you make of her ordeal? Did she get what she deserved or did the Twitter community overreact to her public ranting?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Mary Ann Romans (26891) 23 Jan 2009 10:49 AM

While the mom might be stressed out, I have a hard time understanding her. Parenting is hard work, but who even jokes about smothering a child? In moments of frustration, I've never even thought about saying something related to harming my child. I think in my worse bit of frustration would be to say something like "Mommy is going to jump out a window," which was actually funny, because the kids took that literally.

Samual (11722) 23 Jan 2009 11:11 AM

When me and my siblings were older children, aged 8 and up, our mum would either threaten to kill us or tell us to play on the A1(which would be instant death) so we used to threaten to phone childline. When one of ours refuses to sleep, yes its annoying, but we never get angry, the kid is three, either she hasn't been one to enforce bed time or the little one is having a mad half hour as they know it winds mummy up.

Melissia (5) 25 Jan 2009 11:32 AM

I was not aware of Thordora's blog until after this controversy started, but believe that if she had not been so honest about her struggles with bipolar disorder the overreaction to what was obviously her brand of humor would not have taken place. I am not sure what motivated the people involved, but I do believe that it was was more than just concern regarding the welfare of her child. The need to insert yourself into situation and create a drama where none exists does not speak well of the mental health of those who raised the alarm.

Michele Cheplic (37429) 26 Jan 2009 02:00 AM

I was waiting to see if anyone would express your opinion Melissia. You are not alone in your thinking. There were quite a few people who tweeted the same response you did. I guess it's just a matter of perception. I think the important thing is that the daughter was okay in the end. IMO. Thanks for the comment.

Michele Cheplic (37429) 26 Jan 2009 02:02 AM

Samual you raise a great point, oh have times changed!! I totally know what you mean. I had one teacher threaten to kill one of my classmates when he threatend to throw a vase at another student. Ah, the (good) ol' days when no one cared about being PC.

Michele Cheplic (37429) 26 Jan 2009 02:04 AM

Mary Ann let's hope your kids don't repeat that to their teacher, you'll be the next one getting a knock on the door from authorities. :-) Thanks for the comment!

swtuthmommy3 (130) 27 Jan 2009 04:51 PM

Maybe instead of calling the police, the other people on this particular forum should have asked this woman if she needed any help. If this was a call for help, she probably needed someone to talk or have some help at home. On the other hand even though this woman was venting about the frustrations of being a parent, asking about smothering a child is kind of extreme.

Michele Cheplic (37429) 31 Jan 2009 07:31 PM

I thought about that too swtuthmommy3. No one said whether anyone reached out to the mom before contacting authorities.