You know who they are… because they are either people you know, that are constantly telling you how “they” raise their kids, and how you “should” raise yours. They’re the ones posting or writing on blogs on how so many people – usually parents of challenging children – are just bad parents and the kids are fine. Or they might be at your school, a teacher, an aide, even a counselor, telling you how your little angel is so well behaved and his/her behavior at home must mean that YOU are doing something wrong.
Yeah, you know who I’m talking about. I bet your blood pressure just hit the roof thinking of those people.
Let’s examine the perfect parents in the world. No, really. Jesus – no, wait, he wasn’t a parent. At least that’s the general consensus. Ok then, Mother Theresa, oh WAIT, she wasn’t either…. Ok Ghandi, he’s a good man, right? Ummm…. but he’s been vocal about the parenting mistakes he’s made over the years…. so let’s see… ummmm….. (crickets)
Yeah. The three greatest, most giving people I can think of, anyway, the most perfect people I can imagine, and 2 of them weren’t parents, and the other admitted many mistakes and was definitely not perfect. And the rest of us, or the majority of us, who are we compared to the likes of them? We’re just regular people, not only are we not in the same league… we’re not on the same planet. We can’t compete, so to speak. That INCLUDES all those Perfect Parents who just know EVERYTHING and have to share it with you and the world.
Keep that in mind as they wear you down, making you feel one inch tall because you aren’t up to “their” standards. They are so arrogant that they are putting themselves above some of the greatest people in history. Dang. That’s some huge cajones, there, by golly.
You are allowed to smirk at them. You are allowed to laugh in their face. You are allowed to be snarky. Why not? After all, they are inserting themselves into your private business, without asking, without getting your permission to pry into the lives of your children… so go ahead, snark away. “I’m so glad to be in the presence of someone greater than Jesus!” “Wow, Ghandi could learn SO MUCH from you!” “Why are you not famous? You should write a book. I mean, you have all the answers!”
The thing about special needs parents, whether the special need is physical, emotional, mental, whatever, is we are so quiet and sweet when idiots get all up into our business. Smile and wave, move along. I’m tired of it. Where in the book does it say we have to put up with other people’s crap all the time, when we have enough crap we deal with on a day to day basis? So… go ahead, bring on your snark. Call on your inner smartass. Let out your bitch. Whatever. Enjoy yourself. And maybe they’ll think twice next time. Or not.
-realmom
talkin'realhere 