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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP I'm American and my kids attend public schools (in DC) and I feel this way all the time. I think it's a personality defect and something people should address in themselves. I agree with others that it's due to insecurity and competitiveness (related issues) and also that DC has an above-average number of parents like this because of the kinds of educational backgrounds and jobs people have here. Also DC is very status conscious and I think this drives people to hierarchical interactions where everyone is trying to assert their knowledge or credentials as being "top" instead of talking to each other like sane people.

I don't buy the explanation that some people are just more "problem solving" focused. The reason this is dumb is that often there is no problem to solve but they will still give you advice. Like this morning my kid woke up at 4:30am with a bad dream and as a result I'm exhausted. There isn't a problem here -- I got my kid back to sleep and also pinpointed what I think is the source of anxiety that brought on the bad dream. But I'm still super tired today because I didn't go back to sleep. I don't need advice I just need someone to say "ugh that sucks I've been there too" but a lot of DC parents are too stupid to understand this and will instead lecture at me like they are a child sleep expert even though -- I feel this is important to point out -- they aren't!

Anyway I have not figured out a way around this yet and am hoping that it dissipates as kids get older and humble their parents a bit more.

I made many of my friends in DC through a hobby that has nothing to do with being a parent. I highly recommend this! I still encounter weird know-it-alls but they are easier to avoid in non-parent settings I've found.[/quote]

op - i am sorry you are so tired! And yes when you are tired the LAST thing you need is someone telling you why you could have dealt with it better. 
Just being a parent means you have a baby and then you are at least somewhat tired 95% of the time until they are all older than 15, longer if they play some kind of travel sport. Then by the time they go to college it is too late and the tiredness has wizened us. 
See, it's this kind of encouraging commentary that people are missing out on when they give me advice. [/quote]

OP, I don't see the PP's commentary as encouraging. She seems like a complainer.[/quote]

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