Social Parenting: Stop Caring About Other Parents On Social Media!
With social media at our fingertips and the ability for parents everywhere to spread the word about what their child is doing, how they are parenting and so on and so forth, it’s no wonder we all get caught up in what other parents are doing. Social media can quickly become a game of trading parental how to’s in regards to any situation we put out there. Social Parenting, as I call it. This can be a dangerous thing. Social media has opened the doors to parents worrying more about what other parents are doing rather than looking within their own four walls and making their household the best it can be.
Social Parenting- Stop it!
There are many reasons why you shouldn’t care what other parents do, but the most important one is because you are the parent to your kids. Just like experiences we go through as adults, our parenting style is based upon what we know, what we have been through and who our kids are. Parenting style should not be based upon what strangers in the online world feel we should be doing or should not be doing.
When you start to judge other parents for their choices and become enthralled in trying to get them to do better, you take away from your own parental decisions. Your mind will become consumed with trying to get other parents to see why your way is right and their way is wrong. This is never a good battle to have, for everyone loses. It takes away from your sane mind to be the parent to your kids and allows you to get addicted to social media.
No more are we are generation of parents who get sound, albeit not asked for, advice from our elders at a random family gathering. Social media has opened the doors to get unsolicited advice from families across the world. It’s the age of Social Parenting. There will always be another parent who thinks they know how to handle your parenting roles better and there will always be another parent who is ready to tell you why you suck. Do not let other parents get to you.
The best bet in this social media driven world is to let go of what you think other parents should be doing and learn to ignore the unsolicited advice that others give you to. You will drive yourself crazy trying to live up to the expectations of strangers. Take the time to scroll past any parental update that you don’t agree with, because no matter what you say or they say to you, our job as a parent to our own kids won’t change. Social parenting is NOT how you need to raise your children.