Learning When to Not Offer Your Input
There’s a lot of debate over what makes a ‘good parent’. It ranges on if they don’t wind up in jail, to attendance at the top universities. There’s also a lot of people who won’t hesitate to tell you that you are doing everything wrong.
Meeting the expectations of others can be far harder than just meeting what your own child needs, there’s always naysayers who are convinced you are doing some vast injustice to your child.
Naturally we all know we are doing the best, thankfully most of us have the tact to not tear into other moms over small differences in parenting styles.
However, some people don’t ever seem to get the memo.
When my own daughter was only a few months old, on one of our first outings, I was a mess of nerves and worries. We just had to run to the store to grab a few things and I was convinced all the germs in the vicinity would all attack at once (don’t ask, I’m still not sure over all the odd things going through my mind).
As we were pushing through the aisles an older woman stopped up, after complimenting my daughter she proceeded to tear into me over ear infections (little one had just discovered her ears, so she was playing with them), to the ‘inappropriate outfit’ (a pink onesie and pants set) and a million other little things. Appalled, I couldn’t say anything.
Yet, I still remember that incident like it was yesterday. I always swore I wasn’t going to be that person. Ever.
Yet, almost a couple of months after that after the birth of a good friend’s baby I did just that. As we were getting ready to run to a store I started… and continued until I realized she was making ‘that face’. The same face I must have made, and I was surprised at first. I just didn’t get what had come over me.
Thankfully, the advice of not offering any unless actually asked has finally fully set in. My friend (who is surprisingly still a good friend) and I now laugh over ‘the incedent’.
What is it about being a mom that sends you into ‘advice mode’ anyway? The feeling that you’ve been there, and you want to tell the world your advice and tips? Dad’s don’t seem to do it, at least none I know.
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