Parenthood is hard. There are the late nights, the sassy attitudes, the sibling arguments. But more difficult than these is something much more terrifying- all the other parents. And not just other parents, but pretty much half of the population.
No matter what we do for our kids, somebody thinks it's wrong. Let my kid stay up until midnight? I'm too lax. Make them go to bed at 8:30? I'm way too strict. Let them watch PG-13 movies? Depending on who I"m talking to, those movies are fine or horrible.
Not let them stay the night at a friend-of-a-friend's house, whom I've never met? I'd think that would only be sane, but I've been made to feel as though I'm extremely overprotective for it.
As confident as I'm not, I look to friends and other parents for a little reassurance. But I'm never left feeling that way. I guess its not really reassurance I want, but just not "Oh my word! You let your kid do what?!" or " It's okay, Johnny will be fine with that bottle. The skull and crossbones don't mean anything".
Please understand that if my child doesn't have a coat on in the 20 degree weather and I'm all nicely bundled up on the way into the store, it's because I let him choose to not wear it. If he gets cold, he'll make a better choice next time.
Please understand that while some movies may be appropriate for other families, they may not exactly be for mine. And while I'm on this road, some things others find wrong, we don't make as big a deal about. We're all just different, with different values. Usually, there's nothing wrong with having different values. Unless of course, you consider murder okay or what-not. But you know that's not what I'm talking about here.
So let's make a deal: I won't tell you to cover your baby's ears in this wind if you won't tell me to not let my boy play outside in the rain.
Sounds like a good deal to me.
Amen sister.
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