an update to the last post

It's been brought to my attention that I sounded a bit bitter in the last blog post.

I apologize, I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone, and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings.  I don't feel bitter in the slightest.

I realize that when I post something on this blog or on facebook, I am opening myself up to criticism and responses, whether or not I've asked for advice.  That just comes with the social-networking-territory.  Sometimes I may feel upset by a response, but that's just part of the game - I've opened myself up to that.  I have to take the good with the bad, the welcome with the unwelcome, and decide how to apply it to my life.

The last post was not meant to cast judgement on anyone.  There's enough of that without me adding to it.

I have spoken to so many moms, both on facebook and in real life, who feel discouraged, knowing that they'll never reach those high standards set by others... or sometimes, set by themselves.  We as moms get bombarded daily with messages and innuendos about how we should and should not raise our children.  We get them from friends, from well-meaning strangers, from blogs, from internet articles.  And so many messages contradict each other that there's no way we can meet those expectations.

It's up to us to filter and process the information we read and decide how to implement it in our lives.  Some we ignore, some we accept, and some we tweak to fit.

As a mom, ask questions when you find someone who is raising their children differently from yours.  But do it with a sincere desire to learn, not a desire to exalt yourself and your superior child-rearing skills.

Moms, let's learn from each other.  Every mom is different, and every child is different.  We shouldn't seek to tear each other down; we're on the same team.  Keep up the good work!

A fantastic, Godly mom wrote something similar on her blog today, although she is far better with words than I am.  Filled with a lot more grace too, I think.  Anyway, I wanted to link you to Holly's post because it has a great heart in it.  Click here to read it.

Again, I apologize if you were offended by my words.  I like you, and I'm glad we're on the same team!