'What Should I Do When Other Parents Compare Their Kids With Mine?'

What should you do when someone keeps trying to one-up your parenting?

It’s normal for parents to be proud of their kids, but many times, that pride gets out of hand and turns into bragging. It could be about anything — from when their kids started walking to their grades at school to even their eating habits.

One theAsianparent Community user asked the community about how they deal with parents who compare each other’s children.

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Walk away or ignore

If you’re dealing with a stranger or just a casual acquaintance, by all means, remove yourself from that situation. “I will walk away if it is a stranger,” wrote Diana L. “If it is my friend who makes the comment and comparison, I will just listen and will not take it seriously.”

Don’t take it personally

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No matter what, don’t let other parents’ words get to you. Keep in mind that all children are unique.

“I don’t take their words against my child to heart,” responded Jo-an D. Liwanag. “I believe that each child has their own weakness and strength and no one should compare their children to others.”

Find out who your real friends are

This kind of behaviour is also a good indicator of whether or not you should keep someone in your life. As one user wrote anonymously, “A true friend will never compare.”

Let your friend know how you feel about them comparing your children. If they don’t listen and continue putting you and your little one down, that’s a sign that you should be spending less time with this person. You don’t need that kind of toxic energy.

Encourage your child

Image source: iStock

Comparing babies is bad enough, but when people start comparing kids who are old enough to understand — and within the child’s earshot at that — that can do a lot of damage to your kid’s self-esteem. Tell your friend that they

“I’d do what my mum did when my annoying aunts used to compare their kids with me and my siblings: smile, shake it off later and encourage my kids to do well to prove any naysayers wrong,” Yuna L. responded.

Republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines

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Written by

Cristina Morales

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