5 Ways To Handle Messy Parenting Moments In Public

Sometimes parenting is messy. I'm not talking about the sticky fingers and spilled juice boxes. To me, messy seems to be the best word to describe those moments when you find yourself praying no one is watching. The ones when you feel guilty for giving your kid the cookies for lunch, but you just couldn't listen to the whining anymore…those moments.

When messy parenting moments happen in public, I feel like I'm failing at this mom thing. A few weeks ago when I had to drag my muddy toddler out of the park kicking and screaming, I felt just as messy on the inside as he was on the outside. I caught the glance of another mom and instantly felt inadequate. How come my kid was the only one losing it? For that matter, why was my kid the only one covered in mud? Just as I was telling myself that I must be doing something very wrong, the other mom said “I know how it is. Don't worry, it's just one of those days.” I instantly felt better.

I'm glad that other mom wasn't silently judging me like I thought. I'm glad she spoke up and gave me just the encouragement I needed to get my wily toddler to the car without turning red with embarrassment.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a playbook for those messy parenting moments? Some sort of cheat sheet for parenting in public that could help us avoid those kinds of fiascoes? Maybe your kid isn't rolling in mud at the park, but I bet you've had a messy moment in public of one kind or another. We all have.

Get the secrets to parenting in public on the next page.

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