As seen on Cityline.
It’s easy to judge one another. We do it every day through unconscious biases and learned behaviours. Never is this truer than with motherhood. Right from pregnancy, mothers are asked questions like, ‘Do you plan on breastfeeding?’ ‘How will you lose the weight?’ ‘What are your thoughts on screen time?’ It feels as though an opinion regarding your competency as a mother is immediately formed. It’s not a nice feeling.
So next time you feel an unsolicited opinion coming on, here are 6 reasons why you can never judge another mother:
- There is more than one right way to parent
- Every child is different and need different levels of attention/discipline
- Parenting methods can vary from culture to culture
- Kids feel the weight of judgement
- Kids pay attention to the social situations around them
- Kids hear your negative words and vibes and re likely to repeat it.
- Teaches kids to look at others in a negative and harmful light
- You don’t know their story
- Perhaps the mother is suffering from postpartum depression or just lost a loved one. Perhaps they just lost their job or are dealing with a familial conflict. We cannot judge a situation where we do not have all information. And quite frankly, it’s none of our business
- Parents in glass houses shouldn’t judge
- Have you ever judged someone for something and done that exact thing 5 minutes later? Exactly.
- They’re not your kids to raise
- Your parenting style works for you and your family. Your style may not work for someone else and vice versa. Keep your eyes on your own road.
- There is no such thing as a parenting expert
- There is not blueprint for raising kids. Every child is different, and every mother is different. Yes- there are tips and tricks, and advice that may have worked in the past, but raising a child is a unique and challenging experience that everyone will approach differently.