Motherhood

Yesterday I read an article about how moms are so judgmental of each other. I started thinking if I was that way... and I think I might be. I don't want to be and I don't do it on purpose. I guess it's just human nature. I'm going to work on that. Anyways... I brought this up because I don't want to be judged as a mom.

My daughter is two and people say it's not longer terrible two's but it's terrible three's. I beg to differ. Sage, my daughter, has been throwing the worst fits, hitting, yelling, and just generally not listening. Does this have to do with my parenting style or is it just the age? Or maybe she just does it to get attention from mommy and daddy, because she doesn't act out in front of other people, usually. Even when we're at the store, doctors office, or a restaurant and Sage decides to throw a fit, I feel like I can't even discipline her without being judged by everyone that is nosily watching. If I give her a smack on the butt people are going to think I'm hurting my daughter or something. Society today is so hypercritical about disciplining it's ridiculous. You can't even give your child a spanking without someone calling social services or throwing the whole situation out of proportion.

It's pretty tough sometimes. I try not to use spanking as a corrective action. You can't say, "Hey - no hitting" and then spank your kid. I try to give her other forms of discipline. I explain to her that it's not nice to hit and that we need to be nice. I take her hand and rub it on my face to show her to be nice. It seems to work for the most part. Other times my husband and I have tried putting her in her room for time out. It is just a matter of finding what works. I don't really think there is a definite soluntion to child discipline. To each their own.

Now back to what I originally started with - being a judgmental mother. Why is it that when you are a mom and you see another mom doing something (with or to their child) you judge them? Or if you hear something bad happened to a child you just automatically assume the parent is to blame. It's really not fair. I don't want to be judged as a mom, so I shouldn't judge other mom's either. So please don't judge me. Parents put enough stress and pressure on themselves. It is not the easiest thing in the world to have a kid. You are the person responsible for teaching them everything they know. You are the person who forms them and makes them the person they are. It's a very big responsibility. I can't speak for other parents, I can only speak for myself, but I am doing my best! I am doing MY best!

My new favorite quote is from that article I read (link below). "The best gift people can give a mother is to tell her she's doing a good job." Just remember that.

Link to the story I read:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-25-mommywars25_CV_N.htm