“Comes With The Territory”: 39 People Who Judged Parents Too Soon

Tantruming or screaming in public places. I thought if they can’t behave, don’t take them out! Quickly realized the only way to teach them how to behave in public is to take them out!

"Because I said so". I swore id never use that phrase. I would explain things to my kid instead. And I do. But after the third or fourth time explaining the exact same thing you just gotta take a bath because I said so.

For me, it was leashes for toddlers. I’d ask myself, 'What kind of monster would chain their kid to a leash!' Now I have a toddler, and I can totally see why people might need a leash in public places

Gentle parenting. As strange as that sounds. I thought "getting your a*s whooped" was normal. I was raised in an abusive neglectful home. I knew I had it bad growing up (my parents were alcoholics/addicts, mom overdosed when I was 21) but after having kids I realized *just how bad*.

Now that I'm a parent in a stable healthy home environment, I see how seriously important it is to try to be calm and gentle with my kids. I would never "beat them with the belt" as I had heard SO many times growing up.

Dirty cars and car seats.

Now I've learned that mess just comes with the territory

Definitely public meltdowns.

Now having a daughter with sensory issues, I only feel heartache now when I hear/see it.

It sucks.

Older kids in strollers. My twins were still using the stroller at 4. I didn't have a car, if we're going out for a 6 hour outing to the city I'm absolutely taking the stroller, much safer crossing the road or walking through crowds and somewhere to crash when they're ready for a nap.

Making special food for their kids. Judged them so hard for that. Now I’m a short order cook. Ah well.

I was never going to bribe my child. I was going to teach him to be respectful and behave without the promise of candy/fruit snacks/screen time. Bahahahaahha. I was young, so full of hope.

When the parents would decline invitations out for dinners / restaurants at night time, or want the dinner to start at 5pm oh how naive I was! My sister and I would say why don’t they just bring the baby. Now I realise one dinner/night out means a few days out of routine and catch up on already sleep deprived parents!

Living a flexible life with baby. I'd see relatives with young ones who took hours to leave their house because of all the prep, timing naps and feeds. I'd think to myself, wow couldn't they just do all that outside the home, like at the mall or in the car? Surely, when I have a child they will fit into MY schedule, not the other way round.

Welp... I was very judgemental and naive.

Basically everything

- screen time
- kids on a leash
- carrying a screaming kid out of a store and leaving a cart behind for someone else to deal with
- cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner
- going out in public with food slopped on their clothes (mom or kid)

I was a great parent before I had a kid lol.

Cosleeping. I SWORE up and down my baby would never sleep with me.. then the PPD/PPA hit. The long nights of waking up every 2 hours to breastfeed. Then him waking up everytime I set him down in the bassinet. I gave up and decided I needed sleep.

A kid cried through almost an entire 8 hour red eye flight. Back then, I thought geez why don’t the parents do something? Now: those poor parents. That toddler is emotionally abusive.

Parents who discipline their kids in public. I'm not talking spankings, but the loud stern talking too that the whole store can hear. I get it now.

Carrying your kid in your arms when you have a stroller : "Why do you even buy a stroller if you don't put your kid in it, stupid parent?"

Yeah I learned the hard way why XD.

I have a fun one! Little kids (3-6) wearing character stuff with characters from media for big kids (8-13+). Like a 3yo wearing a (not lego) Batman shirt. I just assumed you were a s****y parent who let your 3yo watch pg13 movies. Well, my 3yo loves "Baby Yoda". He has multiple Grogu shirts, and a matching book bag and lunch box, he asked for a "Baby Yoda Cake" for his birthday. Did I let my little preschooler watch The Mandalorian? F**k no! I bought a tube of strawberry Crest toothpaste that had Grogu on the package and it was love at first sight 🤷🏼‍♀️.

It was never out loud, but I judged parents that said their kid "saved" them from their previous bad life styles or choices or mental health issues or whatever else. It seemed like a lot to put on a kid and if you need help managing (which is normal and reasonable) you should lean on an adult not tiny person who will potentially feel responsible for managing everyone else's emotions once they're grown. But then I had a kid. And all of my bad habits and questionable coping mechanisms became painfully obvious and I realized I had to learn how to deal with life in a healthy way if I was going to be a good example and emotionally present parent. It's caused me to work on some things I wouldn't have otherwise and has kind of saved me.

Breastfeeding in public. I never understood why women did that. I thought why didn't they just do it before they left home?! Now that I'm a mother I know that a nursing mother's schedule is entirely based around when the baby needs to eat and if she only left home when the baby was satiated she would never be able to leave the house! Now that I know better I am happy to see moms getting out into the world with their babies and feeding them in public if needed.

Children at Brewery's. Now I know brewery's with their beautiful wide open green grassy spaces so kids can run off their energy and delicious ice cold beer so parents can drown their sorrows are MADE for parents 😂.