ok, so bubba tried to break his arm last week. Didn't work though. Turns out it was just something called Nursemaid's elbow where the ligament slips off the outside of the bones. (yuck).The little rascal was darn cute in his little sling though.And today at the doctor to have bubba's arm re-checked, I had this conversation with the Dr.:
(scene: bubba and gracie playing with the spinny doctor stool...Doctor enters stage right)
Dr: you really shouldn't be letting him play on that stool, he's already had his fair share of injuries for the month of august.
Me: I keep asking him to stop playing on it, but we've been waiting a long time. sorry. (thinking: maybe you shouldn't have something you deem so dangerous in your patient rooms!)
He gives me a 'look' and then apparently shows me how to properly parent them by proceeding to turn on the TV that was in the room that we were in.
Dr: don't you ever let your kids watch TV?
Me: well, i tried to get them to watch the TV, but they just don't want to. (thinking: seriously! am i getting chastised for NOT letting my kids watch enough tv!?)
And just yesterday this lady stopped me at wal-mart to tell me to not have bubba standing up in the cart. (This is not nearly the first time this had happened to me...random people stop and tell me how to parent quite frequently actually.) The thing is, the last time I went to wal-mart, i fought and fought bubba to try and strap him into a cart. I fought him for a good 3 minutes and finally prevailed...however, not without some lady stopping and saying to me, "I think you should just let him walk". I responded on the outside by rolling my eyes. On the inside I was asking her, "What,,, are you going to watch him, then?" So, it seems that I can't win with people. I don't strap him, i get a talking to, I strap him in and I get a talking to.
I'm noticing a common trend. I feel like I go places and see people looking at me and then I hear them whispering "blah blah blah super nanny blah blah". My kids are not bad kids. I like to think of them as "active". And I am not a bad mom, I like to think of myself as giving my children "creative license".
When I see people in the store, I don't whisper "blah blah what-not-to-wear blah blah". And I don't stop people and examine the contents of their carts and then tell them to stop compensating for their empty lives by filling it up with hot-pockets. So, why does it seem that I am the target for people's not-so-nice parenting suggestions? Do you think people are mistaking me for a teenage mother who is silently crying out for help? Is it because I'm short? Or on the other hand, am I just completely delusional about my parenting abilities? If so, by all means, organize an intervention.
17 comments:
I get it all the time...and people have started asking how I possibly have a 7 yr old. :) I just smile and wave, smile and wave...
I am not as good a person as you. I do say "blah, blah what not to wear..." Because, hey it's 90 degrees outside. My baby does not need socks.
I started reading the wal-mart story and thought you were telling my story. I've had the same thing happen and I feel just like you. It's so frustrating. Hope all is well in Colorado.
I'm right with you on all of this. I get so much unsolicited parenting advice..usually from middle-aged women. Do they forget what young kids are like or what? Thanks for sharing, so glad I'm not the only one.
Come on Vanessa, you have to admit you're in the wrong here. Your kids should definitely be watching more TV and I'm pretty positive you need super nanny. j/k
you see this is why i love you.
and i totally think you should have told that lady what you think. totally.don't keep it in.
I am going to bed RIGHT NOW, but I had to comment really fast! I totally know what you mean. Kylie can get out of any seatbelt, so she is always standing in the cart. You wouldn't believe how many people tell me I really should have the seatbelt buckled. They don't know she is a baby houdini! Today McKell scaled the mountain of toilet paper at Target, while I had my back turned for a minute. The worker came up and said "your children are not allowed to climb on the shelving" as if I was encouraging it or something. Of course, I would have told her to stop a second later when I noticed! I think it was just his tone that bugged me. Whew, I guess I needed to vent too :) You're a good momma and you realize one of the most important parenting sanity tactics- pick your battles!
Sam does look super cute in the sling! Glad it wasn't broken. Love the post title too. You should get one of those bumper stickers that says, "Mean People Suck." I think that would get your point across.
No offense to Bubba, but "Nursemaids elbow" is probably the wimpiest sounding injury ever.
Just wait until they tell 18 month old that he needs to sit in the cart and "show mommy how responsible he can be" I totally hear you. You are a great mom and your kids are adorable. Hope you guys are doing well!
You are hilarious. I am so sorry for those jerky people. We were in Meijer once and David was having a royal temper tantrum. This old man came up to him and yelled at him and told him to stop yelling. I was so taken back that I yelled right back and told him to never yell at my son. The nerve of some people. You are an incredible mother...love ya...
Seriously Vanessa, you should have waited until you were at least 16 to start having children. No wonder people are talking! Maybe if you and your children were ugly you'd stop attracting so much attention, but you're just such beautiful people. I'd be happy to be a mom just like you someday. :)
They're all jealous because they don't still look like they're 16 :-) Yeah, I understand...people should just keep their mouth shut! Just teach your kids to stick out their tongue at them, or something ;-)
What a jerk doctor!! Sam does look really cute in his sling.
The comments, the looks, it happens to the best of us. You are a great mom, and who cares what others thing right?
I think I can relate. Although people don't usually tell me anything, today the nursery teacher found me in the grocery store and told me that my son wouldn't stop crying in nursery. "If I had only known where you were..." she went on...But I was like, "He was up at 7 (our church is at 1) and he was tired! Plus I'm trying to ween him and I was TRYING to teach my class." Geez! All I have to say, is that you're doing a great job! Your children are adorable. When my kids scream and fuss in public, I just go to my happy place.
You just tell me where I can find this lady, I'm training to be a cage fighter you know.
You're an incredible mom, and I hope I can be like you some day :)
Can I just tell you that this is my favorite place to come when I need a good laugh. I'm sorry you had such a nasty run-in with the whacko doctor. I have to agree though, rather than encouraging "creative licensing" of any kind Vanessa, your job as a mother is to train them to sit still for longer and longer periods of time in front of the tv so they can practice deadening brain cells. That way when they're older, they'll know all sorts of smart stuff like when kids should be sitting down in the cart. :) Haha, you crack me up!! You rock. And you're my hero. :)
Post a Comment