Parenting is a rollercoaster. In fact parenting is most likely going to be a constant rollercoaster. It isn’t a rollercoaster with a set of rules. Each set of parents makes them up as they go along.
So if you are not parents yet you like to parent other people’s children then this post is for you… Stop parenting my children!
Emily, at Babies and Beauty’s comment is one that I can 100% relate to… ‘Well he can do that at Nana’s House’. She says it is really irritating to her and one her parents specialise in. They think it’s teaching him that they’re great and fun, when in reality it just tells him that he can get away with much worse at their house and honestly undermines us as parents. If I say no, no means no, no matter who’s house we’re at.
Kate at The Less-Refined Mind says don’t say ‘I know what it’s like to be sleep-deprived’. In fairness this person worked shifts at the time, but… Nah. Until you’re up and down like a flipping yoyo Every. Single. Night for YEARS – then sorry, but nope. You do not know the torture of true sleep-deprivation until you’re a parent with a child who refuses to sleep.
This is so true! I wouldn’t even dare say it when Alfie was sleeping through the night. I knew what it was like but you forget until you are back in the thick of it. I am currently in the thick of it. Sleep deprivation is hell on earth!
Lyndsey at Me Him The Dog And A Baby says “When Erin was a baby she had really bad reflux which caused her quite a bit of pain. Once when we were out shopping in the city Erin was crying while we were in a pretty big shop. One man decided to walk past and say ‘Maybe she wouldn’t cry if you stopped beating her up.’ I had some very strong words to say back to him!
Why is it that people think they have the right to comment, especially such hurtful and untrue things like that?
Kate at LesBeMums says that she got really frustrated at her Health Visitor when they were advising her on all sorts, from Breastfeeding to what her body was doing, despite not having children themselves and especially when another HV said something else. She don’t believe guidance should be given based on what the government feels like advising.
Isabella at Fijian in the UK says Guilt tripping you as a parent for decisions you’ve made that you felt was in the best interest of YOUR child(ren) by saying that’s going to scar them for life. As if parenting isn’t hard enough already without friends & family adding to the burden with their side-eye shady one liners.
Other rather annoying comments from those that aren’t parents…
- “You are building a rod for your own back”
- “Oh you’ve got your hands full” when you have two or more children
- Adult “Do you want some sweets?”
Child “Yes, please!”
Adult “Oh, we better ask Mummy if it’s okay”
Mum *Mutters under her breathe “You know full well it’s not okay and yet you offered them to him in the first place and are now making me look like the bad guy!”
Also Mum “You better only have a few because dinner is nearly ready”
- About breastfeeding – “When are you going to give that up?” “You’re only doing it for you now, you can’t let him go” “There’s no benefit for him now, you’ll just make him dependent on you” “Oh my God are you STILL feeding him yourself? When are you going to stop?”
- “That’s not how we behave is it? You shouldn’t be doing that”
- “You naughty boy!”
- *Under their breathe* “He’s a brat”
- “His parents need to do some parenting…”
Thank you to all of you who contributed to this post. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone in feeling a bit peeved when people feel like they can parent my children.
Just let us parent how we want to. You’ll understand once you have your own children!
Mummy Fox
