I once was a child. And, I had a mother. In fact, I still do. Maybe not all moms are meanies. I'll grant that.
Mothers differ as much as children differ.
But, my mother . . . I could be outside with my friends playing baseball or splashing in the water at a place we called Slippery Rock or sitting under a tree and examining a blade of grass. I had to lie in bed like some wimp while my buddies were . . . Well, I suppose they were also taking naps. And, she made me read books.