"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?
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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.
Yes. A thousandt times, YES. Thank you for saying what so many of us feel.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great campaign by Similac! I totally agree, WE, above all, are PARENTS first and just want what we think is best for our kid. YAY to stopping all the judging!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved that video!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this! We are all doing our best, the best way we know how, and we should be supporting each other, building each other up, not letting such small differences discourage us all.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true-we really need to realize we're all trying to do the best for our little ones and stop judging!
ReplyDelete