I am totally aware that my daughter is a handful. Believe me: I know. I'm the one that lives with her, remember?! I am aware that she needs discipline. I believe in using various discipline strategies. I spank my children when it is appropriate. I put them in time out. I give rewards and I take away privileges. It all depends on what I feel is appropriate at that time. It differs based on where we are, who we are around, and what undesirable action my child performed.
Parenting also has to do with the personalities and philosophies of BOTH parents. My comfort level might be very different from someone else's. And for that matter, things that bother YOU about my child's behavior might not bother me and vice versa.
There's also the element of what works best for our family. I've been a stay at home mom and I am now a working mom and I can tell you they are very different experiences. For me, being a working mom is so much harder and I have a lot of guilt about it, to be honest. When I am with my kids for those precious few hours, it's hard for me to have negative experiences. That is not to say that I don't discipline my kids...I do! But it is very hard. And then there's the element of having been through the death of a child. That experience makes me look at my children very differently than before. It is another obstacle I have to face when it comes to discipline.
I write all this to say that we should all resist the urge to judge other parents. Try not to turn your nose up at people just because they don't parent the same way you do. If it has to do with health or safety you can bet I will say something but parenting philosophies are another thing entirely. We are all just doing the best we can.
"Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged." Matthew 7:1-2
