Stop Judging Other Parents, Because Karma Is Real

GettyImages_153516349If you’ve always wanted kids, are trying to have them now, or have even thought for one millisecond that it’s something you may entertain in the future – stop judging parents immediately. I promise you, whatever judgments you fling will come back to bite you in the ass.

Your karma child is coming for you.

Your karma child is the child who does all the things that make moms crazy and makes them react in ways that your childless self thought were reprehensible. You may actually have some children of your own and think, I don’t have one of those! Don’t worry. The tides can turn quicker than you can say, ”cherub-cheeked bundle of joy.” Nobody escapes karma. The smugger you are, the swifter and stronger it appears.

My first child was such a sweet infant . When he moved into early-toddlerhood, it was much of the same; he was shy but friendly, gentle and just a real joy to be around. If a child grabbed one of his toys at the park, he would politely oblige. He’d wait patiently for its return and even sometimes say ”Thank you!” I remember thinking, ”Wow. I’m really good at this whole parenting thing.”

I had a neighborhood friend at the time who had a son roughly the same age as mine. He was gruff; if you could call a toddler ”mean,” I guess that would fit, too. He’d walk up to kids at the playground and steal their pacifiers. He’d hit anyone in his radius. I think I actually heard him growl a few times.  I never said anything about this behavior aloud, but man was I judging in my head. Even though I never imagined myself as being a particularly judgmental person, especially when it came to parenting styles it was happening.

His mom would talk to him calmly, saying things like, ”Mommy doesn’t like it when you hit her! If you do it again we will leave the park.” SMACK! She was exasperated. I was silently convinced that there was something I must have been doing better since my child hadn’t displayed any of those behaviors.

Yet. That was the thing I failed to recognize. My child hadn’t displayed them”¦ yet.

It’s easy to be the person thinking, Oh my God why is she yelling at her child in the middle of Costco? or Why is she negotiating with a two-year-old? That doesn’t work! when you haven’t actually been there dealing with a little toddler terrorist who is having a fit for no reason. People don’t make so many jokes about what little jerks toddlers are for no reason. If you have managed to escape the fate of having to control a demonic toddler in public count your blessings. This has nothing to do with your parenting. You did something right in your past life.

Karma is the only reasonable explanation. Stop thinking your parenting is better than the parenting of others, lest your karma child come for you.

(photo: Getty Images)

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