What’s really tough is feeling the eyes on me right away. The judgment. The sighs. Or even worse – sensing someone is already crafting a sharp post in their head to share: “I don’t get why I have to tolerate a kid not being perfectly quiet in a restaurant. Sure, the kid sits quietly because they got a tablet, but why not just let kids be kids?”
The truth is, if you’re a parent, you’ve already lost: you can bare your soul, but the world will glance at you for a moment and immediately decide what you’re doing wrong. Because, according to them, you’re definitely not doing anything right.
Social Media Know-It-Alls – Judging for Likes
Recently, I came across a post where someone described in detail sitting in a restaurant while a toddler was throwing a tantrum. The post ended with a blunt opinion: “If they can’t handle their kid, they should stay home.” The same person would probably write in another situation – where the kid was quietly watching a tablet – “It’s sad that kids are already chained to screens.”
This is the most stomach-churning part. People pick a single moment from someone else’s life, completely unrelated to them, and build a post aimed only at sparking reactions. A little outrage, some likes, a few nodding comments—and suddenly they feel validated as opinion leaders. Meanwhile, they’ve stepped into someone’s life at their most vulnerable moment.
No Perfect Solution – Just a Bunch of Imperfect Ones
My biggest issue with these critical posts isn’t that people share opinions—everyone is free to express their thoughts. It’s that they only see the world in black and white.
If a child is tired, cranky, and cries or makes noise, that’s “bad parenting.” If a tablet comes out to keep things calm for at least 20 minutes so the parent can eat or mom and dad can have a grown-up conversation, that’s also a “mistake.” Even if the kid sits quietly watching, that’s suspicious too: they must be raising a “robot kid.”
Real Motherhood Can’t Be Posted About
Most moms I know—including myself—don’t hand over a tablet just because they don’t care about their child’s growth. It’s because they’ve read ten stories, taken them to the playground twice, and even got up with them at night. Screens aren’t a parenting replacement; they’re just another tool in modern life.
Yes, sometimes the spoon slips from the child’s hand, the tablecloth spills, or they loudly ask about something we find awkward. Sometimes, our little one completely breaks down over an emotion they can’t yet handle. It’s not because we failed, but because parenting and teaching are processes. No one becomes a selfish, unbearable adult just because they threw a tantrum at three over getting one scoop of chocolate ice cream instead of eight.
On the other hand, a child taught not to express emotions with the tools they have—tools that will grow more civilized and complex over time—can become a broken adult who doesn’t recognize their own needs. At three, throwing yourself on the sidewalk might be the only way they know to communicate.
What If We Offered Understanding Instead?
Instead of planning our next judgmental post, maybe it’s worth choosing a different path. Smile when a little kid laughs out loud—even in a restaurant. Look away when someone sits exhausted by their coffee while their child draws or watches a story. And most importantly: don’t interfere in others’ lives when you don’t know the full story.
As for the grumblers who don’t understand why there are kids in stores, restaurants, planes, or anywhere they cause inconvenience, here’s my message: feel free to write your sulky posts, but kids aren’t going anywhere.
Like it or not, they’ll be everywhere. If someone throws a fit on social media because the world doesn’t revolve around their needs, maybe they actually have more in common with a three-year-old than they want to admit.
