day eight...

I was having a terrific morning. The kind of morning where I left the house on time and had everything I needed with me. I had dropped off 2 dozen cupcakes at Emerson's school. Her teachers had been impressed with my creativity. I had picked up the dry cleaning. I had dropped off my new jeans to be hemmed and talked her into letting me pick them up on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Then, in the elevator on the way up to the Target, a fellow mom with her toddler in tow, turns and asks me how old my son is. I smile politely and answer that he will be two in January. She says, "Oh...I would have thought older, based on the lollipop"! Ouch! Yes, I gave my son a lollipop! Quick, someone call Social Services! He was being squirmy and not wanting to get into the cart, so I pulled out my stash of "emergency lollipops" and gave him one. I do not know the origins of the lollipop, but I venture to guess it was created by the mother of a toddler. They are genius! I have yet to see any temper tantrum that does not immediately cease at the sight of one! So, yes lady, I gave my son a lollipop! I am sorry that my son is not as well behaved as yours and that you have never had to stoop to such measures in order to get through your daily to-do list. I bet if my son had been standing up in the cart, facing the wrong way and screaming at the top of his lungs, you'd be judging me even more!

Why are moms so judgmental of one another? We know exactly what it feels like to have the kid throwing the temper tantrum in the middle of the store! And yet, we are the first ones to give a dirty look when it's someone else's child. Aren't we all just doing our best trying to raise happy, healthy, well-rounded little people? Are one mother's methods really better than another's? Why can't we just give each other a break? Why are we always trying to one-up each other? Why don't the stay-at-home moms cut the working-moms some slack? And vice versa. So I didn't breast-feed my kids for a whole year. So I bought my kids Halloween costumes online instead of hand-making them. So my kids eat McDonald's sometimes and not everything organic. So I wipe them down with baby wipes instead of giving them baths. Just kidding! (Most of the time)

So instead of throwing stones, lets try uniting in solidarity and appreciate that we are all doing the best we can at the hardest job there is.