Anonymous wrote:

I am 59 and had my only child daughter at 37. I was/am an anxious, micro-managing helicopter/snowplow mother who read every child development book, enrolled dd in every possible enrichment, wrote her college essays, etc.- you get the picture. Despite my anxiety, her childhood/young adulthood has provided me with a deep, abiding sense of joy and purpose.

So why do I now find young children and families mildly irritating? I smile at them benevolently at restaurants, in public, etc., because I feel that this is somehow the maternal response children should elicit from me. I offer to help when I see a Mom overwhelmed dragging a infant car seat and a toddler, open doors, etc. but internally I feel sort of judgy and critical. Most children seem sort of rabbity, and not even cute, barring a few obviously adorable babies. I know they are children and not really badly behaved, but I secretly think their parents are mismanaging things. Letting toddler children run behind them in a market parking lot or climbing on things that could be dangerous. I think a lot of parents are tattooed and trashy, but I don’t feel superior, just sad that I’ve become an old harridan.

I look into the future and semi-dread the prospect of grandchildren- loads of worry all over again. Is this because of my anxiety or because I had my child so late in life? My mother was the stereotypical loving Grandma in an apron baking cookies, dog on the couch, messy crafts type. Maybe I can shake of the internal ugly and emulate her when the time comes. Any one else adore their child but are decidedly meh about kids in general?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we need to talk about why you wrote her college essays.

Op. They were college admission essays. Still not defensible, I know.

Did it work out well? I am probably doing the same for my son since I just don’t trust him to do it well.

Anonymous wrote:1 - you probably don’t need to worry too much about your own grandkids bc your DD will keep you away. She won’t want you controlling and micromanaging her mothering or her kids.

2 - Little kids are just annoying sometimes. They just are. Everything single person who is posting on this thread - your kid was annoying. Even when you think they were being the cutest and entertaining shoppers,diners or people in public, nope, they were being annoying and people were smiling and saying nice things but internally thinking “god that kid is annoying - parents really ought to teach better manners “

Anonymous wrote:

I am 59 and had my only child daughter at 37. I was/am an anxious, micro-managing helicopter/snowplow mother who read every child development book, enrolled dd in every possible enrichment, wrote her college essays, etc.- you get the picture. Despite my anxiety, her childhood/young adulthood has provided me with a deep, abiding sense of joy and purpose.

So why do I now find young children and families mildly irritating? I smile at them benevolently at restaurants, in public, etc., because I feel that this is somehow the maternal response children should elicit from me. I offer to help when I see a Mom overwhelmed dragging a infant car seat and a toddler, open doors, etc. but internally I feel sort of judgy and critical. Most children seem sort of rabbity, and not even cute, barring a few obviously adorable babies. I know they are children and not really badly behaved, but I secretly think their parents are mismanaging things. Letting toddler children run behind them in a market parking lot or climbing on things that could be dangerous. I think a lot of parents are tattooed and trashy, but I don’t feel superior, just sad that I’ve become an old harridan.

I look into the future and semi-dread the prospect of grandchildren- loads of worry all over again. Is this because of my anxiety or because I had my child so late in life? My mother was the stereotypical loving Grandma in an apron baking cookies, dog on the couch, messy crafts type. Maybe I can shake of the internal ugly and emulate her when the time comes. Any one else adore their child but are decidedly meh about kids in general?

Anonymous wrote:

I am 59 and had my only child daughter at 37. I was/am an anxious, micro-managing helicopter/snowplow mother who read every child development book, enrolled dd in every possible enrichment, wrote her college essays, etc.- you get the picture. Despite my anxiety, her childhood/young adulthood has provided me with a deep, abiding sense of joy and purpose.

So why do I now find young children and families mildly irritating? I smile at them benevolently at restaurants, in public, etc., because I feel that this is somehow the maternal response children should elicit from me. I offer to help when I see a Mom overwhelmed dragging a infant car seat and a toddler, open doors, etc. but internally I feel sort of judgy and critical. Most children seem sort of rabbity, and not even cute, barring a few obviously adorable babies. I know they are children and not really badly behaved, but I secretly think their parents are mismanaging things. Letting toddler children run behind them in a market parking lot or climbing on things that could be dangerous. I think a lot of parents are tattooed and trashy, but I don’t feel superior, just sad that I’ve become an old harridan.

I look into the future and semi-dread the prospect of grandchildren- loads of worry all over again. Is this because of my anxiety or because I had my child so late in life? My mother was the stereotypical loving Grandma in an apron baking cookies, dog on the couch, messy crafts type. Maybe I can shake of the internal ugly and emulate her when the time comes. Any one else adore their child but are decidedly meh about kids in general?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we need to talk about why you wrote her college essays.

Op. They were college admission essays. Still not defensible, I know.