on not taking offense

If you've followed my little blog for a while, you know that I don't like to write much.

So, it is probably a bit weird to see these posts that are full of just black and white words.

But, I had an interesting experience the other day and I felt like writing it down a little 

and I thought some other mommy's might benefit from this as well.

As a mom, pregnant or in the throws of child-rearing, I am constantly given advice. 

Some great, some not so great. 

I try to be kind and appreciative of the advice and comments that I am told because I do believe they come from a place of love. 

I don't think that any person would give bad advice on purpose.

But, the thing that I've learned about being a mom is that everyone is different.

Every mom is different.

Every child is different. 

Piper was a difficult baby for me, but she has turned into a dream toddler.

A little messy, noisy, and she ignores the word "no" entirely, 

but she is a great little toddler. 

She is vastly different from the other kids in her nursery class. 

Not all in good ways. 

But, they are all so different. 

I like that everyone is different. 

Ok. With that off my chest, I feel like I can jump in to my thoughts. 

A few days ago, I was at a little meeting where I met a handful of new people and was really enjoying myself. 

Until I met this one girl. 

I'd seen her before, we'd actually met before, mutliple times.

I knew her name, her child's name, and where her husband worked.

And I told her, for the third time, those same things about me.

Our kids are very close in age, so naturally the conversation shifted to our children.

(I'll let you in on a little secret... mom's love to brag about their kids. ha ha)

It was one of the ONLY times when I have felt like a terrible mother. 

She listed off all of the things they do together.

2 hour walks around the neighborhood exploring; only organic foods;  

how they don't have a television; and all that jazz.

Basically the opposite of me. 

Usually, I don't care a ton about this kind of talk. 

I chose to be a mom to Piper the way that I have chosen. 

I don't care how other people chose to parent their kids. 

I don't judge. Really, I don't. Its a complete waste of my time to judge others. 

But, at this moment I felt horrible.

She had all kinds of advice of how to "train" Piper to be a better child in any situation.

I think she is just fine.

A little noisy and church, and difficult at the grocery store, but I have never felt the need to "train" her.

 Discipline, yes. But, I believe that as she is a very young kid, certain behavior is expected.

I felt like this mom was completely out of line.

I was extremely uncomfortable and tried to steer the conversation to someone else in the room. 

But she just kept going. 

All of this advice and, what felt like, an ongoing list of things that I was doing wrong as a parent.

It was awful.

I came home very upset about the whole situation. I had never felt worse about my parenting choices.

I talked it through with Trevor and after a while I eventually got over it.

I just decided to remember that I am who I am and I am the mom that I want to be.

Of course there are always things I can be better at,

but Piper is happy and so am I. 

Isn't that the most important part of this? Just to be happy...

I am doing the best that I can to raise Piper to be a happy and independent girl and I am proud of how I 

am choosing to raise her. 

I am going to continue to not judge other moms for how they raise their kids and keep working to not take offense or compare myself to anyone else. 

and, I can't wait until Summer.

I'm so over these winter blues.