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I'll strengthen the second point of my post: Rule one of parenting is that you don't get to tell other parents how to do their job. I'll raise my kids the way

I'll strengthen the second point of my post: Rule one of parenting is that you don't get to tell other parents how to do their job. I'll raise my kids the way I see fit - and that includes exposing them to certain things and choosing to not expose them to other things. Religion or atheism? Personal safety or fuck it, we'll buy more bandages. Vegan or meat eating? There are a myriad of decisions you make day to day but, above all, you as a random internet commenter don't get to make that decision. I do.

JoeAltmaier 7y ago
To a certain degree. Of course folks have their kids taken away all the time, for egregious neglect.
- joezydeco 7y ago
  Of course.
- Mirioron 7y ago
  Or for letting them play outside without supervision.
kick 7y ago
Sure, I don't get to make your parenting decisions for you. I don't want to make them for you. Much better to leave that to the parent (and the government, for when the parent fails). However, I can criticize certain decisions as abusive. That's what I'm doing, and it's not targeted at you as much as it is the decision. It's an abusive action. While someone may not be able to change how someone parents, they can definitely say that something they're doing is abusive.
organsnyder 7y ago
Every time I see someone making absolutist statements about other people's parenting—even something as seemingly obvious as, "I'd never get my kid a candy bar at the grocery store if they were misbehaving"—I assume they don't have kids themselves. One thing I've learned as a parent is that every kid is different, every situation is different, and there are always tons of undercurrents that aren't immediately visible. Are there shitty parents out there? Of course. But for every shitty parent there are ten parents just trying to get through the day and do the best for their children, often under extenuating circumstances that are difficult for many of us to fathom.
Mirioron 7y ago
The problem is that enough people feel a certain way about parenting and this has been made law in western countries. Children aren't allowed to play outside unsupervised. In some places children aren't even allowed to go to school and come back on their own. This means that parents are already telling other parents how to raise their children.

JoeAltmaier 7y ago

To a certain degree. Of course folks have their kids taken away all the time, for egregious neglect.

joezydeco 7y ago
Of course.
Mirioron 7y ago
Or for letting them play outside without supervision.

kick 7y ago

Sure, I don't get to make your parenting decisions for you. I don't want to make them for you. Much better to leave that to the parent (and the government, for when the parent fails). However, I can criticize certain decisions as abusive. That's what I'm doing, and it's not targeted at you as much as it is the decision. It's an abusive action. While someone may not be able to change how someone parents, they can definitely say that something they're doing is abusive.

organsnyder 7y ago

Every time I see someone making absolutist statements about other people's parenting—even something as seemingly obvious as, "I'd never get my kid a candy bar at the grocery store if they were misbehaving"—I assume they don't have kids themselves. One thing I've learned as a parent is that every kid is different, every situation is different, and there are always tons of undercurrents that aren't immediately visible. Are there shitty parents out there? Of course. But for every shitty parent there are ten parents just trying to get through the day and do the best for their children, often under extenuating circumstances that are difficult for many of us to fathom.

Mirioron 7y ago

The problem is that enough people feel a certain way about parenting and this has been made law in western countries. Children aren't allowed to play outside unsupervised. In some places children aren't even allowed to go to school and come back on their own. This means that parents are already telling other parents how to raise their children.