“No easy answers, and some people are just terrible parents no matter what anyone says - I just like to believe they are a very small minority.”
I used to look at folks with tired (and therefore whiny) kids at the store at 11 pm as being terrible parents. 11 pm is almost after MY bedtime. But, nowadays I figure Mom just got off the second shift, picked the kids up from daycare/grandma’s, is dead tired herself, etc. and feel sad for them instead of mad.
I used to look at folks with tired (and therefore whiny) kids at the store at 11 pm as being terrible parents. 11 pm is almost after MY bedtime. But, nowadays I figure Mom just got off the second shift, picked the kids up from daycare/grandma’s, is dead tired herself, etc. and feel sad for them instead of mad.
Realizing the dichotomy (if that is even the proper term) is most of the battle in my opinion. It could be either or, but it doesn't always have to be a bad parent - it could be a good parent stuck in a bad situation. It could also be a parent dealing with a child that won't sleep and wants to be active, where a trip to the store may actually calm them down, or cause enough exertion to change the kid's attitude. this is all easy to say and look reflective, the hard part is remembering to think intelligently rather than reflexively in an annoying situation - or one that could be.