Keep your "advice" to a minimum.

I don't know if it comes with age, maturity, or what, but I have simply learned over the past two years that you just can't make every single person happy. For so many things. I believe this has stuck out to me more over the past couple of years because now that I am a mommy I have opinions, advice and questions thrown at me everyday, all day. No I do not think that I am exaggerating, and I am pretty sure every mother feels, or has felt, the same way.

There is always, "why do you do it that way?," or "doctors will say anything" and "it's just once, it wont hurt him" or the good ol', "well when I was raising my kids, we did it this way...".

While I greatly appreciate your stories, your advice and your suggestions, I do not appreciate your judgement. I also understand that these things you are saying are coming from a place of love, and not hate, but please, PLEASE, keep your advice to a minimum. Some of you will say, suggestions are not judgement. Yes in fact they are when you continually question the way I am raising my son.

 Ken and I would like to raise our children the way we would like to raise our children, just like you had the opportunity to raise your children. I feel a bit bad as I type this, because I do not want this to come across as nasty, disrespectful, or hurtful. I just want people to know that it gets frustrating hearing everybody's "suggestions", especially when they are all different. It is more frustrating because Ken and I are trying our best to do the right thing for our children. I love my child, I am not doing drugs around my child, I am not putting Dr. Pepper in his sippy cup, and I put his seat belt on him in the car. I am keeping him safe, so why does it matter when I decide to feed him baby food? Why does it matter if I stopped breastfeeding him? Why does it matter if we don't want to give him juice? Why does it matter if I don't want him to eat a lot of sweets? If I am not putting him in danger, why does it matter so much for you to comment on how I am raising my child?

There is already this huge pressure around having a child because you want to do everything in your power to provide for them and to protect them. Yet, sometimes other mothers unknowingly create a bigger amount of pressure by questioning what you are doing. We are all mothers. We should be praising each other, and supporting each other. Instead we tell other each other we arent doing it the "right" way?

Are you keeping your child alive? Do you provide for your child? Are you keeping your child safe? Do you love your child? Then you are doing it the right way, and I PRAISE YOU FOR THAT!

Sometimes this drives me crazy, obviously, haha. I guess it seems I am so passionate about it because sometimes it will even hurt my feelings. I am sure it has nothing to do with the hormones.

I want to end this post by saying this is not meant for anybody personal, it is a general feeling that I get, and I know that I am not alone. I hear this from a lot of mommies. A lot of times I will create a post and almost immediately get an email or text from somebody asking if that was about them. None of my posts are ever directly about somebody, but maybe what you last said to me gave me the urge to create this post. I still love you! :)

P.S. Dear little tadpole,

Your mommy is very sensitive and sometimes overly emotional. She always has been, and always will be. I am so sorry if Mommy passes that on to you. I just hope one day you will find a husband or wife that can put up with it as good as your daddy puts up with it. Love you forever and always!

Love, your mommy.