Competition

I just don't get it. Why do some mothers feel like they need to compete? About the stupidest things even. I think we all know THAT mom. The one that always has a better story or a better object or their kids bigger better faster more. Does any one really believe a word they say? Because you shouldn't. There are so many different kinds of them that they catch you off guard.

Like the "my kid is so smart" moms. I can't even count on all my fingers and toes how many times another mother has approached me with a "My kid" proposal. Its inevitably one of those things like, "Oh, my kid never picks his nose. Thats just gross." which leads me to the "Oh, is that so? Well, my kid would never wipe poo on the walls like your kid is doing. right. now.". Ever heard anything about not casting stones and glass houses lady?

Then there are the "gotta keep up" moms. You know the ones. Where one playdate you are casually chatting about how your kid wears a 3T shirt and their kid wears 24m sized stuff and then MAGICALLY by the next day their little sweetie has had an amazing growth spurt and is in the same size as your kid now. Or your little one is doing great with potty training and hers isn't but by golly the next week she is all undies balls (and usually pee) to the wall. Lord knows all kids progress at the same rate? Oh wait, no they don't.

Don't forget the "it was good enough for mine" moms too. As a matter of fact, my mother is one of these. This may not seem like a competitive thing, but it so is. "My kid turned forward facing as soon as she turned a year old and she is fine". Ok, thats nice lady but its my choice to keep my babies rear facing longer. Is it really annoying you so much you have to comment?  Or "My kid always rode in a stroller and she is very independent". Ok, well, I choose to wear my babies into toddlerhood and are quite independent. So, whats your point? And either of those could be reversed. Just because your choice is different these moms feel the need to try and convince you the way they did it was right and you are doing it wrong.

I understand that sometimes you have to be able to bounce things off other parents. Sometimes other people have something you may not have thought of. Its the feeling that you are not allowed to do it your way, the way these moms approach things that really rubs me the wrong way. I am not a big bragger I guess. I am not the person that alerts the whole world every time one of my kids does some thing new and a big part of that is the competition it tends to attract. Its not that I don't care that your little Ernest sprouted like a weed overnight, I just think its insane that you feel the need for him to be as good or better than my kid at growing! Crazy I tell you!

Ok, vent over.