It is BY FAR the thing that gets under my skin the MOST right now!
Listen peeps: There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between wanting to offer someone advice out of love based on your own experiences and criticizing someone because the way they choose to do it is not the way YOU would choose to do it.
A.) If you have tips that you think the person would find helpful or even questions or concerns about the way they choose to do something -- DON'T POST IT PUBLICLY where it will come across as CRITICISM, respectfully PRIVATE message them! To ME, that is the difference between sharing your experience and trying to educate vs self-righteous lecturing to SHAME someone.
B.) Remember, this is SOCIAL MEDIA -- You are only seeing but a snippet of someone's life! You know but 1/20th of the story and why someone makes the parenting choices they do! Don't be so quick to assume you know the other 95% of the story by making up your own version!
C.) TREAT OTHERS HOW {YOU} WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED!!! Come on mommies... aren't WE the ones who are supposed to be passing on and PREACHING this GOLDEN RULE??? Can we not give each other some grace, a little bit of the benefit of the doubt??? You know... assume we LOVE our children just as much as the next mom and are all just trying to do our BEST with the cards we've been dealt?
MOMMAS... I WILL NOT JUDGE YOU...
If you want to publicly breast feed your kid till they are 5...
or if you decide not to breast feed at all...
If you co-sleep until your children are teenagers...
or if you put them in a crib from the time they come home from the hospital...
If you give birth at your home using a doula all natural...
or if you get an epidural at 2 centimeters...
or If you have a c-section...
If you snap back right after having your baby... or if it takes you a decade...
If you soothe your baby skin to skin or in a swing... or with essential oils... or in a techie bassinet ;-)
If you decide to cloth diaper or use an organic brand or if you use an off-brand generic that makes them easier to afford...
If you decide to be a stay at home mom or if you have to put your infant in childcare to provide for your family...
There is FAR TOO MUCH that we as mommies can find in COMMON, one being the UNWAVERING LOVE we have for our children & the other being the experience of knowing just how CHALLENGING it is to play the role of MOM no matter HOW you choose to do so, to be focused on criticizing the few things we decide to do differently!
You wanna know what I think is the MOST IMPORTANT part of being a GREAT mom??? MODELING the behavior we'd like for our children to display as adults! Showing them BY EXAMPLE how to treat others with respect, give GRACE, exemplify what it means to build others up and add value to society! THAT is what THIS momma is focused on --- Who is with me?!
Love this Lindsay! I was just thinking about the same things. You have it right on the money! Way to go mama!
ReplyDeleteI love this so much! So many truths here, and all have been on my mind lately!!
ReplyDelete