How can you deal with those comments? E n this motherhood and parenting, as in everything, we will find people who feel entitled to an opinion. Normally, we turn a deaf ear, but … the truth is that such inconveniences can bother and hurt your sensitivity. We share these “wise answers” with you to emerge from such foolish questions.
Isn’t your child a little grown up to continue breastfeeding?
What you would like to answer is “what do you care about?”, But it is preferable to give a soft and conciliatory answer, given that the baby is very possibly eating at the time: “Look, I was hungry (or needed comfort) and I am Delighted to be able to continue breastfeeding. That’s how I like it. ”
There are more rude and offensive responses to leave the impertinent with the word in his mouth; But really, who cares more at the moment: our son who is feeding peacefully, or an unwelcome person?
If it was my son, I would have spanked him well already.
The answer is difficult. How to explain to a person with those ideas that this method is beastly? Perhaps he believes, as the saying goes, “the letter with blood enters” and it is not easy to banish such widespread practice. If it happens even in the happiest and happiest families! Better to ask her how she would feel if they hit her; There are cases in which more than an acute response would be worth more a little social work.
At your son’s age, mine didn’t need diapers anymore.
AND? Comparisons are always always hateful, but in this case they are foolish. We can answer little girl type and laughing: “but mine is taller”, or darker, funnier … You can also turn the tortilla: “the important thing is not the age at which they leave the diaper, but the shape. If you have harassed yours so that it no longer uses them, it is probable that in the long run it has problems ”.
Surely now you will not be so sure that you have done things well. Another option would be to show ourselves benevolent and say softly: “each child is a world and in them each progress has its time, why compare them? This is not a competition. “
But … if he doesn’t look like Dad at all!
One option is to put on the face of “I already knew it” and say very seriously (or laughing, if we don’t want to be so offensive) “and why does it have to look alike? Her daughter and husband have nothing to do with it either. ” Less bellicose would be a “he is wrong, they are quite similar, but perhaps he has not observed the father well”. Or affirm surprised “but if everyone sees them identical!”.
How handsome, she looks like a girl!
If our son is old enough to understand, we cannot let the comment pass; but we should not be offended either, because we would give it too much importance. Since the essential thing is to repair the damage that may have been caused to the child, perhaps it is enough to disarm the idea that beauty is a feminine patrimony: “woman, there are very beautiful men and not for that reason less men” or to gently tell her “you are wrong; he is a boy, he looks like a boy and yes, he is very handsome ”, although the look with which we accompany these words does not have to be so sweet.
What a crying baby!
There are always people who are bothered by children; the bad thing is that they show it in an unfriendly way. Parents should try to prevent our children from disturbing the socially incorrect hours: during the nap, at night or at those incredibly early hours when they get up.
But the smaller the child, the less he will be able to understand the rules of the community and a baby, he certainly does not understand rules. If the complainer is impertinent but not aggressive, we can give him hope: “Don’t worry, I’ve got a video to hypnotize him.”
The boy is six months old and you are still with those kilos!
AND? Whether or not it is true, this statement is out of place. If we like it, you can adopt an intellectual style and let go, raising your chin: “yes, I chose the Renaissance model”. You can also fight back: “it is not healthy to be so strict with the weight.” Or surprise with an elegant maneuver: “that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. Everyone looks prettier to me and I don’t know whether to lose these pounds that, apparently, feel so good to me. ”