Nine years ago I took on a job that will last the rest of my life.  I became a mother.  A parent.

Nine years ago my husband took on a job that will last the rest of his life.  He became a father.  Also a parent.

Before we became parents, we were just ordinary, imperfect people like everyone else.  Then once our daughter was born we became ordinary, imperfect parents.

I’ll be the first to tell you that my husband and I are not perfect as people or as parents.  In fact, we don’t know ANY perfect people or parents.  However, we have been perfect people and parents for our daughter and that’s all that matters.

In the nine years we’ve been parents we’ve made a lot of mistakes and I’m sure we’ll make many more.  Anyone who is a parent knows that kids do not come with instruction manuals.  You give birth, go home with your baby and you’re on your own.

Despite the fact we are not perfect people nor perfect parents, our daughter has survived the past nine years.  She has not only survived; she has strived.  She has gone from a six month old in Early Intervention for low muscle tone to a very active almost nine-year-old.  She is loved very much, she is very healthy, she is very intelligent and imaginative.  She makes us laugh every day and we love being her parents.  We really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Considering all I’ve just said I’m baffled by other parents (and non-parents) who feel it is their obligation to criticize both my husband and mine parenting skills.  Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, and we greatly respect that, we laugh at these opinions that others have about our parenting skills and move on.  You know why?  Because as the imperfect people and parents that we are, WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK what you think we’re doing wrong with our child.  We are not abusing her.  She is well fed.  She has all her needs taken care of.  She is very happy and as I said above, we love her very much.

If you don’t like what you think we feed our child or if you don’t like that our child may still sleep in our bed on occasion, WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK!  You don’t live here.  You don’t know what I feed my child and you don’t know where my child sleeps or how she sleeps.  You know what else?  It’s really NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!  I don’t care how you are raising your child.  So why are you so interested in how I’m raising mine?

The other parents need to take a good hard look in the mirror.  Before they start judging another parent, they need to judge themselves as a parent.  Things may seem great now but you know what? Kids are people and just like any other human being THEY CHANGE!  So beware.  Just like yourselves as parents, your kids are not perfect either.

I could do the same as the parents who think it’s their privilege and responsibility to ridicule us as parents, but I won’t stoop to their level.  Trust me.  There is a lot more I could say about their parenting skills than they can say about mine.