I read quite a lot of parenting pages online and something that is a common (and unfortunately growing) trend among them all is judgemental parents. It seems that instead of showing support for one another’s parenting choices (no matter what the topic) they judge and slander them instead. Why on earth everyone feels that this is the way to treat people, (strangers for that matter) I will never understand. Everyone is just so quick to judge. Most of the time, without knowing the full story.
Being a mum or dad is hard! You have to make decisions every day on behalf of a little person that can’t make them for themselves. There is a lot of pressure to do the right thing (whatever that might be). And this is where it gets complicated. No one knows what the right thing is!! And do you know why this is? Because there is more than one way to parent. That’s why there is no manual. Every child is different and needs different things. Yet no matter what, everyone seems to think their way is right and no other way could possibly be.
What I can’t understand is why anyone would think that a mother or father would not want what’s best for their child, particularly mothers. As a mum, we carry that baby inside us with it growing for 9 (technically 10) long months which takes all kinds of tolls on our body. Then we have to get that baby out into the world, either by pushing it out or by procedure (both different, but by no means is one less than the other). Even right there, I’m sure if I was to bring that topic up there would be comments along the lines of “you are not a real mum if you didn’t push that baby out”…Yes, I’m not joking, these are the sorts of things being hurled across the Internet at complete strangers. Keyboard warriors as they are often referred!!
I have to say that I’ve had enough!! That’s why I’m writing this I suppose. I know it won’t get me anywhere as the main culprits of this sort of behaviour have their minds made up and won’t ever listen to a word of what anyone with a difference of opinion has to say.
If only everyone supported each other, boy what a difference the world would be. Parenting is not a competiton!!! I honestly don’t care how you dress your baby, feed your baby, bath your baby, what nappies you use, when you toilet train…I’ll do things my way and you can do them yours. All I ask is that you love your baby. And honestly, I don’t think this needs to be asked. If I was to look, I think it would be impossible to find a parent that didn’t love their child.
I beg of you, STOP WITH THE JUDGING! We are all doing our best, and that’s all you can expect from a person. It’s hard work and we don’t need others making it harder!!
And the unfair judging doesn’t stop when your children “grow up” either! I agree the normal desire of parents is to want what is best for their children and as parents and children are all individuals what is “best” is going differ widely, but I still think there is a range of behaviour beyond which the best interests of the child may not be served – even when the parents or others mean well (eg children need to learn acceptable behaviour even though they may not want to). And there are times when children are abused or neglected.
There sure are some nasty people in this world. Why anyone would want to make someone feel bad for a choice they make regarding parenting I’ll never understand. I guess they don’t stop and think, what if someone did that to me? How would I feel if someone didn’t like the way I did things? Or perhaps they just don’t think what they are saying is hurtful..