There are some of us out there doing absolutely everything we possibly can for our children, yet they still fly off the handle. And at some point, as a parent, you want to stop being judged by all the other mommies out there who think they know best.

As for me, if I don’t think my kid is going to succeed in a park, I won’t take him. I won’t give him the opportunity to fail himself, another kid, or the unfortunate overly judgmental mother.

I am tired of seeing over-medicated kids – at ages as young as 2 and 3. When my daughter had a tantrum in the park, I was asked if I had considered Ritalin… For what? She had a tantrum. She’ll be fine tomorrow.

And I’ll take it a step further… Autism is the new ADHD. I know moms who (without having their child tested, so this is NOT a slight against parents who actually have autistic children) will talk their way out of a child’s bad behavior by explaining that the child has “autistic tendencies” and they “should be tested.” The wait list at our local children’s hospitals (we have 2) for autism testing? 18 months. One of my closest friends is on the list. Two pediatricians have told her that the child is not autistic but my friend is seeking answers elsewhere because her child isn’t perfect. He steps out of line at tee ball. He cries when he doesn’t get his way. He doesn’t want to get off the swing when it’s time to the leave the park. In other words, he’s four.

I think it’s part of the new glossy age of parenting. We’re all supposed to have perfect kids. And when we don’t, we can’t believe that it has anything to do with us. But having a kid with a “disorder” – that makes us feel better because we can’t do anything about that…

It’s a shame – especially for parents who genuinely have to deal with children who have medical and emotional disorders. I have noticed that as the “epidemic” rises, folks are more likely to scoff at those who really do need help. Kind of a “crying wolf” mentality. And that is genuinely sad.

I think your take is spot on: stop making excuses.

This is exactly why I don’t buy it every time I hear someone say that’s the case.

Maybe I am unsympathetic, but I’m a big believer in making the best of what you have – pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and getting on with it.

But, I’m kinda a beeyotch that way