With my first son, I never remember this being a “thing”… probably because I was 20 and clueless about raising a baby – and definitely clueless about baby products. Since I’ve had Max, I’ve noticed things more. I’m more aware of what other moms are doing around me.
For instance, my friend and I walked into Stride Rite the other day and went to the back to look at shoes. We get to the back, and there are two girls there with their kids in strollers. The first thing I noticed - they looked at what kind of strollers we had… Almost like they were sizing us up. I was pushing Max in our new Maclaren Volo (which BTW I love), but when I noticed how they were looking at it, I almost wanted to shout out, “My Orbit is in the car!” Like I had something to prove to this stranger, who I will never see again in my life.
It almost reminded me of a man saying, “My good car is parked in the garage.” It made me really start to think about how we’re judging each other all the time - whether we know it or not. I’m sure that I’ve done the exact same thing. We have hard enough jobs being moms and trying to raise our kids the way we see fit. Why waste a moment of our time judging another mom by what stroller she’s pushing her tot around in?
maybe we should take a step back and try to be a little more aware of what we are doing.
Oh Ashley, I feel your pain. I went through a phase when I felt I had to "prove" myself as a wife and mother. I'm not sure if it getting a little older, having more children, or all the harsh realities of the military that made me realize that it just doesn't matter what everyone else is doing or if ANYONE but my family thinks I'm doing a great job. Moms everywhere would be monumentally happier if they stopped judging and comparing and just focused on raising caring and generous children who know how to love one another and give back to the world. You have two precious boys who think you hung the moon and want only for your time and attention. They don't care what kind of diaper bag or stroller you have or if your hair is a mess and your pre-pregnancy pants still don't fit! You are absolutely perfect in their eyes. Try not to let those other Dallas moms get to you. Their opinions don't really matter. Just smile and know that you already have everything you need and know that you already are the perfect mother for your little boys- regardless of your brand of stroller.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Thank you for your sweet comment. I really appreciate it.
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