According to Big Lots My Son is the Bad Kind of Crazy

    Tis the season! We are being bombarded with holiday shopping commercials. With Black Friday less than a week away, they are everywhere! I've personally been stuck on the Hallmark Channel and enjoying the sappy Christmas movies. That is until I heard Big Lots new commercial.

I went from happy holiday spirit, to shock, to anger, to sadness. 

Here's the video.... CLICK HERE

    "I went crazy in a good way...."

    ....As opposed to what other kind? Bad????

     I don't sugar coat my son's struggles with mental illness, but I sure as hell don't support furthering the stigma surrounding mental illness.

    Before you stop reading and think, "ugh! People are too sensitive! I'm tired of being so politically correct!" Think of this, CHILDREN suffer from mental illness. Do you think they, or adults, would like to be called "crazy?"

    By saying things like "good crazy," you're in fact adding to the fear and stigmas that surround those affected by mental illness. It's not about PC. It's about being a decent human being. It's about caring. It's about being respectful.

    We all know it's not okay to use the n word. Many of us are working on teaching people not to use the r word too. Well, as a mother of a child with special needs AND mental illness, I implore you not to use crazy as an adjective to describe someone. It's hurtful and demeaning.

    My son saw the video just a bit ago, which sparked the reason for this post. In my ten year old son's words, "I hate when people say crazy! It's not nice. I'm not crazy! I just have problems! Why are people so mean mama?"

    There you have it. From the mouths of babes....

    I'm reaching out to all of you, and to Big Lots too, STOP using "crazy" as an adjective!

For those of you whom like me, agree that crazy is a form of ableism, and actually care to find words to replace it, check out this post from What Privilege.

According to Big Lots My Son is the Bad Kind of Crazy

    Tis the season! We are being bombarded with holiday shopping commercials. With Black Friday less than a week away, they are everywhere! I've personally been stuck on the Hallmark Channel and enjoying the sappy Christmas movies. That is until I heard Big Lots new commercial.

I went from happy holiday spirit, to shock, to anger, to sadness. 

Here's the video....

https://www.facebook.com/biglots/videos/2186529718061587/

    ....As opposed to what other kind? Bad????

     I don't sugar coat my son's struggles with mental illness, but I sure as hell don't support furthering the stigma surrounding mental illness.

    Before you stop reading and think, "ugh! People are too sensitive! I'm tired of being so politically correct!" Think of this, CHILDREN suffer from mental illness. Do you think they, or adults, would like to be called "crazy?"

    By saying things like "good crazy," you're in fact adding to the fear and stigmas that surround those affected by mental illness. It's not about PC. It's about being a decent human being. It's about caring. It's about being respectful.

    We all know it's not okay to use the n word. Many of us are working on teaching people not to use the r word too. Well, as a mother of a child with special needs AND mental illness, I implore you not to use crazy as an adjective to describe someone. It's hurtful and demeaning.

    In my ten year old son's words, "I hate when people say crazy! It's not nice. I'm not crazy! I just have problems!"

    I'm reaching out to all of you, and to Big Lots too, STOP using "crazy" as an adjective!

For those of you whom like me, agree that crazy is a form of ableism, and actually care to find words to replace it, check out this post from What Privilege.

Don't Use "Crazy" as an Adjective

    Our tv is tuned to the Disney channel, 24/7. I love how they keep with the times, but keep the programming wholesome. However, when my son quickly changed the channel the other evening, my heart sank.

    We were watching Dog with a Blog. The son Tyler called someone "crazy." I know, people say that all the time, but here I am, with an autistic son, whom also has bipolar disorder. He is currently in a severe depressive cycle, and very sensitive. To hear this term used as a joke really bothered him. I used this to get him to open up to me.

   "Why did you change it? I asked. "Because Tyler said crazy. I don't like that momma. Do people think that I'm crazy?"

    So now you see why it upset us. When I was growing up, kids called everything "gay." If something was stupid, or you didn't like it, it was "gay." As a teen, I saw no harm in this. The thought never crossed my mind how that could hurt someone. Until someone in my family, whom happens to be homosexual, expressed hurt in how I threw that term around so willy nilly. I never used it again.

    I reach out, and divulge details of our journey because we want to help change the world. We want parents and other children to know that they aren't alone in their struggles. We also want to educate our youth that some words should NOT be used an adjective. It may not hurt you to hear it, but I promise you, it's hurting someone.

    This goes beyond just "crazy" and "gay." Words like "retarded" "short bus" "insane" "cray cray," these words hurt! I could go on and on. But then I would lose my train of thought. Basically, if you're a tall, skinny person, you wouldn't want someone referring to you as "that tall, skinny kid." You would want to be referred to by your name, or something positive about you. Same goes for someone with a mental illness. They don't want to be called crazy, or cray cray. Nor do they want to hear you calling others that.

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Bull! Words hurt, sometimes more than a punch to the gut!

    We are only as good as the examples we set for our children. So as a mother, I beg you to think about the words you are using as an adjective. You set the example for your children. If they hear you say them, chances are, they are repeating them.