I wrote an article for Momdot awhile ago titled I am the mother of four. It was all about the fact that we had a failed adoption and while we only have two children living with us I will always be the mother of four. We have faced infertility, miscarriages, failed adoption (of twins) and finally the birth of our two children with a second stint at infertility thrown in the middle. Trust me when I say our kids are our priority. We may take time for ourselves occasionally but believe or not our kids are with us almost 24/7 since they were born. If they are sick we are the ones that takes them to the doctor’s. We are the ones to cook their food, clean them and play with them.
Earlier this week I took the kids to the pediatrician’s office. We have only been patient’s there since January. Rachael has a virus and unfortunately has gotten almost no sleep. Because we had been at my parents over the weekend and they has passed around a sinus infection I thought it best to just make sure it wasn’t something more. Now to do this I had to get both kids cleaned up, in the car and out the door by 9:30. Problem coming in with the fact that Rachael had been awake all night long. No seriously ALL night long. Steve had been at work and was due to go back. So I got dressed, made Charlie put on clothes and fed the kids breakfast. Miss whiney pants made a mess with her oatmeal so I cleaned that up and then realized that it was time to hit the road. So I threw a coat and shoes on Charlie, a coat on Rachael and headed out the door. My coat was missing (I later found it in the back of the van.) Get to the pediatrician’s office, sign in and wait our turn, in the sick waiting room. I did not allow the kids to go into the well child room. I didn’t even allow them to play with the toy that was at the junction of the two rooms. Now in all the hubbub to get out of the house I forgot to change Rachael into clothes. She did have on clean PJs. You know the heavy blanket kind from Gerber with the feet?
Another family comes in and heads to the well waiting room. Rachael was intrigued and started to head over that way and I stopped her. Her nose while being runny was completely in check. It’s my pet peeve to see runny noses on kids. I can handle the scream for wiping it but man I cannot handle the actual look of snot running down a face. I would wipe her nose (with a Boogie Wipe to minimize the screaming) and then promptly use hand sanitizer on my hands. The lady in the well waiting room proceeds to stick her head around the corner and say to me (I KID YOU NOT) “Your child wouldn’t be passing germs to the rest of us if you would dress her appropriately.” Seriously lady who are you kidding. She’s in a different waiting room from you, I’m wiping her nose and sanitizing my hands immediately with the snotty wipes going into a sealed ziploc bag and you feel you can judge my parenting style? UM No you aren’t allowed to do that. Thankfully the nurse saw this happen and immediately took us back into a room, where I politely told her that if this was the way we were going to be treated that we would be finding a new pediatrician.
I won’t even touch the fact that my daughter was completely clothed and rather warmly compared to some outfits she’s tried to put on lately. Nor will I delve into the idea that yes she was in her PJ’s that day but that doesn’t mean she got sick right that second because she was in her PJ’s. Nor will we go into the idea that she is definitely not the first, last or only child to ever go to the pediatrician’s for a sick visit in her PJ’s. I know for a fact because I’ve seen other children at pediatrician’s offices in theirs and I know that my mother took me on more than one occasion in my PJ’s.
But who has the right to judge our parenting? Personally, unless there is abuse involved, the only people allowed to judge our parenting is ourselves, our kids and God. My parents, Steve’s mom, our brothers and sisters may say they don’t like something but I surely am not going to listen to them. Just ask Steve’s brother who raised a fussed because we put Charlie in time out at a family function. I don’t beat my children, I don’t mentally abuse them, they are well fed and relatively healthy. So don’t pass judgment on me when you don’t know me.
What are your thoughts? Am I wrong? Should I have left the oatmeal mess and changed Rachael into clothes before leaving? Do other people have the right to judge our parenting?
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1st Sorry to hear your baby isn’t feeling well. Hope she’s better soon and every gets rest.
Now besides from I myself taking my children to the doc’s when they are sick in their pj’s even bringing the one’s who aren’t sick in their pj’s I myself have also seen other’s who do the same.
She obviously has someone else take care of her children and doesn’t deal with the normal every day routine of a busy mother. If she did she would of understood that just because a child is in pj’s doesn’t mean they are covered in germs. Uugh. The room would of been in an uproar if I had been the one she spoke to. Good for you for holding back I wouldn’t of been so nice.
HUGS hope your going to have a better night tonight
.-= Night Owl mama´s last blog ..Almost Lost My Self for a Minute =-.
Seriously? I could not care less what a child is dressed in at the pediatrician’s office. I’m usually too busy paying attention to my own kid to bother spending any time at all judging the wardrobe of other patients.
That woman needed a smack upside her head.
.-= Creative Junkie´s last blog ..Twitter: Where I prove I have no point in 140 characters or less =-.
Twitter: BrittanyGreer5
says:
Ummm…you are in a dr’s office for kids…who dresses their kids to the nines when they are sick? How ridiculous! That lady needs to be kicked!!!
.-= Brittany´s last blog ..If I Had Extra =-.
oh my goodness! What a scene. Clothes don’t affect illness. I am sorry you had to go through that. People can be sooooo rude!
.-= Annie´s last blog ..Solo Socks =-.
I hope your baby feels better soon! hugs
You know I hate people right? It’s kinda my thing. Seriously, people are so rude and so dumb. I’ve been rude and dumb to oso I’m sure people hate me, so we’re even.
Hope the babe feels better soon.
Lee
.-= Lee´s last blog ..WANTED: Hollywood Husband! =-.
O. M. G.
she did NOT say that.
Better to pass germs then a nasty attitude
trisha
.-= trisha´s last blog ..Creating a Foundation to support Bloggers =-.
I hate rude people too…
hugs to sick babies!
.-= Faythe´s last blog ..WW- Snow Fun the "Pre-quel" =-.
Twitter: 2bnicole
says:
That was so lame-I mean who cares what they’re wearing…
Twitter: AWelbaum
says:
Plain and simple…screw her. Talk about someone who always wants to start up drama. Who cares how she was dressed, at least she wasn’t naked and hacking up a lung!
.-= Mandi´s last blog ..Flashback Friday Week 5 =-.
Whenever I visit a Pediatrician for my kids or grandkids, I just read a magazine. Sorry what happened to you!
.-= Cindi @ Moomette’s Magnificents´s last blog ..Germguardian UV-C Mini Sanitizer Wand – Review and Giveaway =-.
Twitter: shopwithmemama
says:
I would have told her that she stinks and she needs to go and shower I seriously would have said something vulgar to her to embaress her, but that is just me
I am sorry you are having a rough time.
Dr. offices here don’t have seperate well and sick areas. That woman did not have a clue. You did nothing wrong.
On the positive side, maybe it did help you be seen quicker!
Twitter: AllThingsMamma
says:
OH my gosh! I can’t imagine!! I would have been so mad!!! I would have had to say something.
.-= Kasey @ All Things Mamma´s last blog ..FEATURE FRIDAY – WANT A POLISHED PRE-SCHOOLER? It starts with you! =-.
Twitter: simplybeingmom
says:
Oh my goodness! That is totally crazy and I would have totally given that person a piece of my mind.
.-= Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy´s last blog ..The Princess and The Frog Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD Giveaway =-.
holly I am very surprised u didn’t say anything. Knowing u n how it runs in our family to be blunt when it comes to our kids…I would have went off!!!! Who is she to judge?! I’m so glad I didn’t meet u that day at the dr.s cause I seriously would have said something to her and to the office. wow how ignorant ppl are these days. N just think she is passing that on to further generations. poor kids.