The moms vs. the people (or what they think)

The one thing that really gets to me about socializing as a parent, is the arrogance and judgmental attitudes of people towards parents they meet, talk with or just barely pass by in a crowded street.

When the baby is crying: "She must be hungry"
When the toddler is screaming to her mom: "The kid is out of control. Mom: you're a bad parent"
When the toddler refuses to eat one day: "The weaning must have gone wrong. Mom: you're a bad parent"
When the toddler refuses to sleep: "She never learned to sleep in her own bed. Mom: you're a bad parent"

And the list goes on and on.

I am seriously appalled by the conclusions people make after one single meeting with a kid. Or really anyone how isn't either one of the parents.

It's like sports championships: some people watching a sports game from the comfort of their homes are convinced they know better than the sports coach on the field. But the fact that sports is so much more than what surfaces on the television, is often ignored.

We've had quite a few different takes on parenting than is common in The Netherlands. So I am used to the looks and judgmental comments and gossip. For one, we learned Monkey sign language.

"SIGN language? WHY? He will be lazy and NEVER SPEAK!!!"

Than we made the 'weird' decision to only cook organic and home cook every meal

"Oh common! EVERYONE uses ready made baby food. Organic or not. You're overprotective. You're teaching him to be a fussy eater. A little pesticide has never hurt anyone."

And the fact that grandma comes to take care of Monkey and Roo instead of daycare...

"They will never socialize! You might as well send them off to the jungle and let them be raised by a bear like Mowgly. "

Than there's the fact that the average mom in The Netherlands breastfeeds her baby ONE month... With 8.5 months I am this very weird tree hugger hippy mom kind of person.

"You have got to learn them to be independent! Otherwise she'll want to breastfeed until she's 30! She will never learn to drink on her own!"

And I haven't even started to tell people that we won't be sending Monkey to preschool until he is at least 3 to 3.5 years old (2.5 years is common here).

"I don't think I heard you right.. 3 years you said? You might as well pre register him to an education and socialization camp!"

But every single parenting decision mentioned above has made, and still makes my children happy. They make my family happy. The make me happy. I am not saying they are perfect or even the best decision, they are just one possible way of raising our kids. OUR way of raising our kids.

And I hereby give the finger stick my tongue out to every person out there not respecting that.

"(THAT child has no manners!! Sticking his tongue out like that!)"

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