Dear Know-it-All Mom at ballet class,

I know you think your parenting style is so much greater than mine, especially after only seeing me in action for a total of 45 minutes over a 3 week period.

Your bad-mom radar was going crazy last week because I told my overly dramatic daughter to suck it up when she realized that she (yes, I make her responsible) forgot her ballet shoes. (Note to readers: this is NOT a strict ballet class with a real teacher. There are kids in there that show up with socks on some days so she’s in good company.) But I’m sure YOU thought you had the solution even after the teacher, and I both tried a few things to get her back in there.

And this week it drove you nuts that I didn’t even bring her because, as I explained in a vague way, she was “punished”. Did I hear you correctly when you said you have never punished your daughter even when she has misbehaved???

When I explained that I feel kids need to learn their actions have consequences, I’m pretty sure you flat out disagreed with me.

You don't even know what she did wrong, and I refuse to tell you because I just know it's eating you up inside. (For the benefit of my readers it has something to do with her hitting her sister, and also being a general crank-pot from the minute she got home from school.)

Please don’t try and lecture me. Don’t nose yourself into my business anymore. Can’t we just sit here for 45 minutes and not look at each other? I’m typing this right now as you are wheedling your way into someone else’s business. And she and I are trading looks.

I’m sorry for your daughter because she’s going to learn a very tough lesson one day.

Good luck with that.

ScaryMom