I thought that after Pea exited the public tantrum phase, strangers would stop offering me unsolicited parenting advice.

Oh, was I wrong.

I am tired of people giving me grief for not having Pea in preschool (or X lessons). We’re talking people in the grocery store. The most recent Judgy McJudgerson was the fourth year med student who took part in Pea’s annual Well Child visit.

So, to these people, I offer the following:

Thanks for your comments about how my daughter needs to be in preschool. Maybe she exudes “need more social skills” or “Mama’s girl.” Maybe she’s just acting like a five-year-old. (Personally, I think you’re too thick to get the fact she just explained to you what ape medicine is.)

But since you’ve interjected yourself into my personal life and decisions, allow me to explain: I worked out of the home from the moment she was born until she was almost three. She’s had a nanny. She’s been in daycare. She’s been in preschool. She made friends and I never had complaints about her behavior (unless “she was sad” counts).

Here’s the thing: I can’t afford preschool and X lessons, so she has me, a one-on-one caregiver with a B.A. and a J.D. who takes her to OMSI and the zoo and Audubon and the Grotto and does endless worksheets and cognitive exercises with her. Every day. From the moment the kid wakes up (because her next stop is waking me up) until her father comes home, when I do my best to get a little work done, myself. Every day.

So I’m sorry you don’t think she’s getting enough social interaction, but you know what? If you really think she ought to be in preschool or X lessons, pony up the $800/month and we’ll talk.

Love,
AAL