We're All Idiots At Parenting, Right?

I shouldn't say "idiots". More like novices, right? What I'm trying to say is that every single one of us who produce children start from scratch and know almost nothing about raising children. We know how to put on the Pampers and we can read books that tell us things like when to switch from bottles to sippy cups. We can read "What to Expect" and know what the basic milestones are. When they will sit up, stand up, roll over, walk, talk. Those sorts of things are fairly well documented and basic.

But beyond that, what do we really know? Every day is a learning experience. Almost every day, I feel like I'm not doing a very good job. There is the occasional day when I think "Oh hey, maybe I've got this thing down", but those days are few and far between. I am learning as I go. Am I perfect? Never. Never, never, never. But I'm trying and I'm doing it the way that I think is right.

And how I raise my children is my business. Each child is as different as a snowflake. And each parenting style is just as different. Why do some parents consider themselves morally superior parents? Am I less of a parent because I didn't breastfeed my kids? Do I love them less? I mean, I don't want to start a big debate about breastfeeding. I totally believe it's the best thing. It was just impossible for me, for reasons I don't care to discuss. But would any of those lactivists out there ever inquire about why I didn't do it or do they just think I'm crap because I formula-fed? Am I a less of a parent because I don't feed my kids an all organic, gluten-free, sugar-free diet? Am I less of a parent because I let my kids watch some TV and a movie every few nights? Because I spank? Because we let them listen to Weird Al? Because I let them run around outside without sunscreen sometimes? Oooooohhhh, I'm just horrible!

I just hate it when someone I don't really know feels ready to criticize my parenting skills. You don't know me and you don't know my kids. And you don't happen to know the situation at all. You weren't even watching your kid. Now, don't think that I am a complete hyprocrite. I will admit that I have been known to questions some parents' practices, but in the privacy of my own home, not to their faces. That would take a set of big ones that I just do not possess.

I'm just getting bothered thinking about the incongruity of someone who is also winging it giving advice. We're all novices here...for any parent to act like they have it down pat, well that's just bullshit*. Not one of us knows exactly what we're doing. And hey lady, if you know exactly what you're doing, then please, write a book for the rest of us losers and let us know how to do it, OK?

This concludes today's rant.

* Sorry for the swears, Gramma.