Crappy Parenting

Crappy parenting (not to be confused with Parenting, Illustrated With Crappy Pictures) seems to be more and more prevalent in society.  Every time I go out in public, I'm hit in the face by truly crappy parents (not literally, of course.  Wouldn't that be an interesting post though?).  You know these parents: they're the ones who let the (usually filthy) child cry, whine, scream, without attending to them, and then remark to a stranger (me) about how horrible their child is.  They're the parents who post on Facebook about how their child kept them up all night crying and since the child didn't have a fever, they just let the child cry because obviously that kid was just being a brat.  Right?

If you've followed this self-indulgent writing of mine for any length of time, you can probably guess how angry this sort of "parenting" makes me.  I put parenting in quotes there, because my idea of parenting does not jive with letting your kiddo cry and cry without attempting to comfort them, or complaining to random people, within hearing distance of your child, about how terrible they are.  Maybe I'm just a squishy-soft, overly attentive, gently disciplining, too-much-nurturing kind of mama, but you know what?  My 8-month-old is one damn happy baby.

I ask this question far too often: Why do people have children if they don't want the responsibility of raising them?  Why?  It begins when you have unprotected sex - whether or not you get pregnant from that encounter (usually drunk - I find that's how most people get pregnant), you're taking the chance that in nine months or so, you'll have a little person to care for.  If you make the decision to boink uncovered, and then you make the decision to have and keep the baby, you should make the decision to do your very best to raise a happy, healthy person.

You don't have to parent the way I do.  I know lots of wonderful parents who don't babyraise the way we have chosen to, but they are still fantastic parents raising perfectly happy children.  In fact, I know so many amazing parents, that when I come across a crappy one, it just throws me for a loop.  I was absolutely thrilled to become a mama, so I can't imagine how someone can make mean comments about their children (even if they ARE behaving like little hellions, why make yourself look like an ass too?).  Maybe your "brat" just needs a hug.