Would you be offended if, without asking someone......

OH BOY, that is one thing that makes me crazy. I dont even care for when my family or friends butt in on how i handle a situation without me asking for their two cents..if a stranger did it, though i know they mean well..i wouldnt be rude to them, but i would walk away steaming.

I am afraid to admitt that I am the type that would let it bother me!!! BUT, I would stew on it for a little bit and in the end would try to incorporate it into our lives!

If it's a stranger I politely listen then promptly forget why let it bother me, you know. If it's a relative, I will generally just ignore it unless it's bothersome then I will ask them to stop. If it's a friend then I will listen possibly discuss, and evaluate if it's something that really should be adressed or if it's just a difference in parenting styles. It all depends on the situation but I generally don't get offended unless the advice is delivered rudely.

I'm afraid new mothers (any mothers really!) are always targets for well-meaning people giving advice! I remember taking my first baby to town in the pram, and all of a sudden people started noticing me and wanting to tell me how to bring up my baby. It's usually easier to smile and nod if you're dealing with a stranger - but I used to get very annoyed with an aunt of my husband, who told us we were 'making a rod for our backs' because we wouldn't leave the baby with a teenage babysitter and preferred to take her out to tea with us! Now and then someone would give useful advice, so I'd just sift through all the information and take what suited me at the time. In the end, a mother's own instincts are pretty good.

I do unfortunately get a bit offended but i am the type of person who will listen to what they say and examine it as well. If it seems like a valid complaint i will change the thing i am doing. But yes it is annoying. I always feel like i'm doing the best i can and then someone comes along and says you idiot you're doing it wrong.