These are the top parent-shaming topics—and this is why they don’t matter.
Topic |
Why it “matters” |
|
Breastfeeding vs bottle feeding |
If your baby doesn’t gain enough weight, they might lose at baby sumo. |
|
Co-sleeping |
No idea. I slept through it. |
|
Traditional name vs something unique |
It’s up to you if you ever want anyone to spell your kid’s name right. |
|
Sugar vs sugar-free |
You may or may not be raising an ant. |
|
Potty-training age |
No-one wants a 30-year-old in nappies. |
|
Helping your kid with their homework |
Should your kid fail on their own or fail with your help? |
As long as parents raise their kids in contrasting ways, they’ll lash out to prove their method is the right one. That’s why campaigns to end shaming are so misguided. If centuries of armed conflict have proven anything, it’s that human beings aren’t great at tolerating minor differences. Just be glad your argument over baby formula ended with parent shaming and not the Thirty Years’ War.
Extracted from Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child by James Breakwell published by Atlantic Books at $19.99 © James Breakwell, 2018.
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