Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
You're right. To a point. Sometimes we don't know the rest of the story but sometimes we know too much. 
And sometimes we see parents who truly don't want to be with their child/ren. We see the way their child cries out loudly for attention, or love, or acceptance, anywhere or any way they can get it.
There is no right way or wrong way as to how a person parents. As long as they do parent and not let everybody else take it over for them and most of all, not let their children suffer due to their lack of parenting.
None of us should judge anyone but I bet there is not a one of us here who hasn't been judgemental at one time or another.
I can't say that in all my years of being a provider I've ever seen a parent that truly doesn't want to be with their child. I've seen many parents that don't know what quality time is and although they may spend 12 hours with their child, they aren't really spending it with them. I've seen parents not see much of their kids at all (for whatever reason) and then pack in as much quality time as they can in a 4 hour Sunday family day. I think there is a lot to be said about quality vs quantity in this topic area.
I've seen kids that act like they are abandoned and never get any love or attention from their parent only to find out they do...it's just not 24/7 never ending time and attention.
So even those types of situations are only what we see (and apply our thoughts/ideas and parameters of what we think the child needs/wants)
I think like potty training....home and daycare are different so the kids act/behave different.
I also agree that everyone is guilty of judgement.
Myself included.
It's the automatic assumption that someone doesn't want to spend time with their child, shouldn't have had children or doesn't deserve children that gets my goat.
The rest is normal every day, every forum, every providers vent type venting stuff.
I just can't wrap my head around thinking that I somehow have the right to say someone should never have had or doesn't deserve a child.
That is the type of judgment that no one has a right to.
Boy mom has THE best post in this thread in my opinion.
