Back before I had children, or rather, back when I had one child, a sweet little girl who never caused me any trouble (once she stopped waking up at one in the morning and screaming for an hour) I would see parents with their children on leashes and I would think, “How barbaric! I can’t believe any parent would do such a thing, treating their little darling like a dog. My children will never be put on a leash.”
The other day, I sent my husband down to Wal-Mart to buy a leash.
You see, last week my precious, well-behaved toddler decided he was going to take off across a parking lot in front of a moving car and I fell trying to catch him. I’ve mentioned this before and I’m really not trying to milk any more sympathy out of you good people . . . okay, yes I am, let’s be honest. However, my point in bringing it up again is this.
I was wrong to judge those other parents.
I have no idea why their children were on leashes. But I know why mine is—to save his life. He’s young enough that he doesn’t understand the concept of cars+running in front of them=death. He’s fast enough that I can’t catch him (as evidenced). When I put that monkey backpack on him, with the attached leash for a tail, I am quite possibly saving his life.
Perhaps those other parents had equally good reasons.
I can’t count how many times I’ve been judgmental of another’s parenting techniques. I’m so sure I could do it better. I mean, really. How hard could it be? A little firmness, a shake of the head—the child would be putty in my hands, right?
Um, sure.
Parenting is hard work. I can’t think of any other task that is so emotionally draining, so physically exhausting, so gut-wrenchingly hard, and so overwhelmingly joyful. There are days when I want to run screaming for the hills. There are days when I cry because I’m so happy to be mother to these incredible children. And there are days when I must put them on leashes. I’m doing the best I can. Other mothers are too. And I shouldn’t judge them. I have no idea what they’re going through. I have no idea how many times they might have gone splat on the asphalt while chasing that now-leashed toddler. And I have no right to think critical thoughts about someone who is also just doing the best they can.
Related Blogs:
It is the Ones Who Don’t Have Kids Who Seem to Know the Most
When People Make Assumptions and Say Rude Comments in Public
Watch Out for Premature Judgment