Listen up, anyone who goes to Target or grocery stores or out in public or any good citizens of the free world.

Listen up.

We may all have different parenting philosophies. We may all think “my way” is the best way. And that’s fine. I would hope we are doing things the best way we can.

But, if there’s one thing that parenting should have done for all of us…

If there’s one thing that we should all have in common as parents it’s this…

It has humbled us.

Sure, we were ALL experts before we became parents.

We ALL judged the mom in the store whose kid was throwing a tantrum at full throttle and thought “If that was my kid, I’d blah, blah, blah.”

All BEFORE we had kids ourselves. But, once you had a kid. Once you were THAT mom or dad your eyes were opened to a few truths…

*kids will act in unpredictable ways

*the same thing that worked on kid number one may not work on kid number two

*the same thing that worked on kid number one last week may not work the next week

*once you have successfully jumped over a parenting hurdle, there will be another one waiting for you around the corner

*sometimes you find yourself in situations that leave even the most seasoned parent wondering what they even know about parenting a child

*that a well-fed, well-slept, delightful, joyful child can turn into an angry son-of-a-beast faster than a stranger can tell you “well you should have blah, blah, blah…”

So, considering all this, why is it that every time a parent shares an honest moment about parenting, we see OTHER parents using their keystrokes like pitchforks?

Why is it that moms and dads are subjected to rude comments from OTHER parents as if they have the inside scoop on why a child is acting a certain way?

Our comments to our fellow parents should be filled with compassion, understanding, and encouragement. They should reflect the humbled status that parenthood brings someone. If it doesn’t, then you are not qualified to comment.

Yes, that’s right. The biggest qualification for telling another parent anything is HUMILITY.

And if you truly have never been THAT mom or dad…

if you truly have no idea what it is like to not be a flawless parent 24/7…

to not have all the answers all the time…

to not be standing in the middle of a store isle and questioning how you’re going to handle a def con 5 meltdown…

to not know what it is to have to carry out a screaming child like a football while you drag the other screaming child out with the other hand…

to have tried every parenting trick from spanking to time-outs and still struggle...

then get on your knees and thank God because I can assure you it was by some divine miracle and not of your own doing, no matter how “perfect” you parented your kids.

And if your only caveat to the conversation is to shame another parent for not parenting a situation like you would, please take all your coulda, woulda, shoulda’s and make a lovely humble pie and serve it to yourself. We’ve already had a piece. Thank you.

Sincerely,

A former humble pie eater and now parent