I just finished reading this article, http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/16/9360.html in which a mother of an ADHD child describes how she has come to realize her parenting skills are often judged by other parents.  This is such a near and dear topic to me.  Not only in the case of a parent who has a child with a diagnosed disorder like ADHD or Autism but all parents feel this way at some point.

Picture the mother who is grocery shopping with a newborn and her other children in tow and someone has a tantrum (hopefully not the mom)—it does not matter what the tantrum is about—it could be about nothing, but it never fails there is always someone there to “observe” the situation and pass judgment.  Not knowing the background or the specifics–not have empathy regardless of the background or specifics does not come easy for most people.  Who knows?  Maybe the child is ill and we all know they are cranky when they are sick….or maybe that child has autism and social situations are a challenge–who are we to judge?

I am not a perfect parent and I have yet to meet that perfect parent–(those who put on the perfect parent facade are shams)—try not to pass judgement on others and be as supportive as possible–you may need the same sense of understanding and support one day.

Here is a quote from the article:

“Instead of judging parents whose children appear out of control, why not extend some empathy and compassion? To parents who don’t have an ADHD child: The next time you see a child running wild, don’t assume the parents have no control, or are bad disciplinarians. Instead, offer words of encouragement, make a comment to lighten the mood, or better yet — offer a hand. Or possibly even a cookie.”