Being a parent is a special opportunity that comes with a lot of joy and good times. It is also a lot of work. As a parent, you need to juggle your responsibilities and also conduct your parenting fairly publicly. We know you love your precious adorable kids, and we love them too, but when you are a parent and you are spending time with someone who does not have kids (even if your friend does have kids), there is some parenting etiquette that you may want to keep in mind.
In The Car:
People without kids like their cars clean. Although you have become accustomed to cheerios, cracker crumbs, sticky juice stains and odd things here and there, some people may not be ok with this for their own car. If you and your child are going in the car of someone else, it would be a nice gesture to ask before giving your child a full juice box or a bag of messy snacks. Don't be offended if they do not want these things in their car, everyone has their own rules for what they allow in the car. And chances are you will be at your destination shortly and your child can enjoy all the snacks and juice they want.
On The Phone:
It can be very annoying to be on the phone with someone who interrupts you...oh... let's say about 5 times in less than 5 minutes to ask their child what they are doing or comments on whatever it is that is going on. Yes, there are times when your child needs you, but what happened to the 'when mommy is on the phone, you better not interrupt unless there is a fire or someone is bleeding' rule??? Ask yourself if it's absolutely necessary to engage in conversation with your child at that moment, or can it wait? Perhaps if you cannot refrain from speaking to your kids while you are on the phone, it may be better to make your calls when your kids are asleep or otherwise occupied and won't require your full attention.
Sick Days:
Anyone who cares about you and your kids wants to know how your child is doing if they are sick, but no one needs to know all the gory details or exactly what happened last night while your child was up at 3 a.m. Stick to the facts saying something like "S/he still has the sniffles and isn't sleeping well, thank you so much for asking". This way you can give an update, without too much information.
In Public:
I was on the phone with my friend the other day, while she was at the beach. Suddenly I heard screeching and yelling in the background that was so loud that I could barely hear my friend. What was that noise you ask? It was a mother "talking" to her kids. Needless to say this ruined my friend's relaxing day at the beach and she eventually left. That same day I had a similar experience while I was at the pool trying to relax. My quiet time was disturbed by a group of people with children sitting behind me as they were talking about how one of the little girls has learned to sing "twinkle twinkle little star". They proceeded to sing quite loudly. There is nothing wrong with showing off what your children can do... but do we all need to be part of those moments? If you need to deal with behaviors in public or even when playing with your children, it is not necessary to do it at volumes that can be heard from miles away. Remember that other people are around also trying to enjoy their day so maybe use quieter voices, and help keep the peace.
Whether you are talking with people who have kids or people who do not, keep in mind how long you are talking about your child. Is this topic dominating the conversation? Are your kids all you ever talk about? Parenting is a tough job, so give yourself a break now and then and enjoy catching up with your friends by talking about what is going on with you and them, not just your kids.
