This sponsored blog partner post brought to you by The Sisterhood of Motherhood. Today's post is a topic close to my heart. I've been thinking a lot about judging and feeling judged.
Mommy Judging is everywhere: social media, TV, schools, and play groups. It can be overwhelming. I was over the moon when Similac contacted me about partnering with
The Sisterhood of Motherhood, a new campaign for moms everywhere. Join me in watching this hilarious, honest, and encouraging video and we'll continue the conversation below!
"I can't believe they send their son to school there."
"You don't feed your baby organic, whole grain oats grown by nuns in the south of France and hand rowed across the Atlantic in a boat made from reclaimed barnwood?"
"Their daughter dresses like she went through the recycling bin at the thrift store."
"It must be nice to stay home and watch your DVR shows and drink Starbucks all day long."
"It must be nice to get out of the house and go to work and drink Starbucks and relax at a desk all day without a care in the world."
Moms, it's time to be real. Whether you have one child or nine, chances are you've sat on a park bench, roamed the aisles of Target, or been a part of a conversation when you feel judged by other moms for a parenting choice you've made. It could be anything from how you put your toddler to bed, to where you send your child to school, to what you feed your baby.
It hurts, it stings, it's deflating. And it can wash over you and cling if you let it.
If we're being honest with each other, I bet we'd put down our coffee cups for a second, look each other in the eye, and agree that we've probably done some Mommy Judging ourselves. We've turned and done the same thing to others that caused us so much pain.
If you watched the video, you saw that the moms (and dads) were so focused on criticism and one-upping each other that they missed the most important part of a morning at the park: a chance to
bond with their children and a chance to
connect with other parents.
It took the shock of an impending accident to shake those parents out of their respective bubbles and get them to see past their differences.
When it comes down to it, we're all parents who love and cherish their little ones and want the best for them.
What if we took all that negative, frustrating, heavy, binding energy used to hurt and crush others and channeled it into something good, something kind, something encouraging? What if we spent that time focusing on our own loved ones instead of the perceived wrongdoings of other moms?
Yes, no matter what our beliefs, we are parents first.
The Sisterhood of Motherhood is all about a new mindset for moms and dads everywhere. Acceptance is the focus, not our differences. Isn't that refreshing?
CHALLENGE: This week, I challenge you to be on the lookout for a mom or dad who might parent differently than you do. Give them a smile (or a hug, if you know them), a Facebook shout-out, an email, text, or hand-written note, and tell them they're doing a good job!
Tune out the critics and celebrate
The Sisterhood of Motherhood! #SisterhoodUnite
**You can follow along with Similac's new program on
Facebook and
YouTube.
What is one thing you've felt judged for as a mom or dad, and how has it affected you?
If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments, Facebook shares, and Tweets!
Disclosure: Similac partnered with bloggers such as me for its Sisterhood of Motherhood
Program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. All opinions expressed are my own. Similac
believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and
share them in their own words. Similac’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics
Code, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and social media
engagement recommendations.
-Anne Lamott
-Lorna Landvik
-Susan Wiggs
