Rantings of a MAD Woman!

Because I have no other rational outlet for these feelings right now (Shawn's in surgery, mom at work, and other people have more important things to do than listen to my tales of woe) the internet will be the place for this. Why, oh Why do people here feel like they need to parent me on my parenting? We have lived here for 15 months and I have never recieved more Unwanted, Unwarranted, and Unnecessary "advice" and/or "reminders" on what I should be doing with my kids. Usually this occurs in a grocery store, it must be a perfect place for women to spot helpless mothers and spew out their rude comments, like they are pearls of wisdom.

So the story: Today I had Jack and Lyv in the shopping cart. Lyv is strapped in in the front and Jack is in the cart. I'm 10 ft away from them depositing a check b/c I can't bring the cart any closer than that due to a table in the front. This literally takes me about 3 minutes and I hear no crying, screaming, or other sounds of distress from either child nor do I see Jack trying to crawl out - we're doing good right? Wrong, in the meantime Psycho lady has approached the cart. Jack was playing with Lyv and grabbing her cheeks, but again no crying or screaming from Lyv (which if she was getting hurt or annoyed with Jack she would have let me know!) I see her talking to Jack, thinking "Oh she's just being nice." I walk over to the cart and she begins to tell me that I need to better supervise my kids because Jack was abusing Lyv's face and he could have and I quote "cracked her neck" - and I should "really watch this better!" Then she turns and walks away like she has just performed a great public service. It took every ounce of energy I had to not tackle her in the store, slap her across the face, and give her a piece of my mind. Which went something like this: Looky here lady - #1) WHO are you to tell me how to parent my kids? #2) Lyv's face does look like a battle ground but its because the misquitos are eating her alive and she is swelling like a balloon all over her face #3) If you wanted to be helpful and POLITE you could have just kindly said "I think your son might be hurting her!" #4) What is it about Eastcoast Women that give them the right to think they don't have to use a filter on what comes out of their mouths? Go ahead and think all the live long day that I'm a horrible neglectful mother, tell your daughter/husband/neighbor/co-worker/bartender about my bad parenting go right ahead, but WHY do you think it is okay for you to talk to me like that? Seriously! Any woman who has been a mother at any point in their life, should swear an oath that they will never judge another mother - because it might just be one of those days, those nightmarish, insane, everything goes wrong, spilled milk, sort of days.

Okay and as a repentant conclusion, I do greatly appreciate it when a friendly (they must be from out of state!) person tells me that my kid is about to spill out the cart or is running away from me, or hitting someone, in a way that I can still be the parent. Thank you to you - I need that help, because I know that I'm not always able to see out the back of my head. Today I had a very nice lady buy Jack a pack of Starburst that made his day! Thank you sweet kind woman, for reminding me that there are people here who like children and their unqualified mothers.