It is no secret to people who know me well that I'm not the kind who will just blindly heed any 'pearls of wisdom' from just anyone. If the advices are in contrast to my beliefs or parenting style, I don't hesitate to question them.
It's not that I think I know everything there is to know about parenting, but I'm also not convinced that anyone, even one who has more years of parenting experiences than me or has read more parenting books or even written a few, will necessarily be the one who knows-it-all. Even if one is an authority in the field, he/she doesn't know MY kids as well as I do. And if you aren't an authority, uh... shouldn't you consider zipping up?
So to put it plainly, I don't appreciate unsolicited parenting advices. And I'm not apologetic about it. Especially not from a random stranger who doesn't know me and/or my kids, good intentions or otherwise. If they are coming from someone who knows us all very well, you better be prepared to stand your ground when I challenge your beliefs.
But if I ask you for advices, then it is different of course. It means I have singled you out as someone whom I look up to, whom I think may have the wisdom/knowledge for the particular situation.
One of the things that annoys me the most is when another parent spits out a bunch of unsolicited advices about how to raise my kids and instill values in them. Or a parent with a mediocre brood trying to advise me on how I should nurture my kids.
What makes them think they are qualified or will be appreciated? Duh.
No comments:
Post a Comment