by Ruth Floresca

Created on: December 06, 2008

I am a mom to three school-aged children. When they were still babies, I couldn't recall specific incidences where I felt offended by comments from fellow parents who seem to think themselves better than others.

However, once my kids started schooling, I felt overwhelmed by several incidences when I discovered that there are other parents who feel intense competitiveness toward other moms and dads.

Seriously, I couldn't believe it that there are moms who prefer to stay in school just to wait for their kids to finish a whole morning of classes. I guess they have nothing more important to do unlike myself who has to stay home and attend to chores and my writing deadlines. I leave the fetching of my kids to the school's accredited transport service we hire at the start of every school year.

At the parent's lounge, some of these moms would exchange stories about their children in the most annoying I'm-a-better-parent-than-you-are tone. They don't run out of stories and would raise their voices while talking to get everybody's attention. It was appalling to hear endless tales of how one kid ALWAYS gets top honors in a previous school or how well-behaved and intelligent ALL the kids of another parent are.

It's like a club full of negative vibes and inflated egos where some women seem to go crazy just proving themselves as the most excellent parents on earth! In times like these, I simply smile and keep quiet unless somebody asks me a question. I'm glad to be exposed infrequently to these kinds of gatherings. I only get to sit with them when I had to go to the school once in a while to talk to a teacher or pay a school requirement at the accounting office.

I cringe every time I hear other women talk like that. Even in parenting e-groups or on-line forum discussions, it is easy to spot who are obsessed at proving to everyone how great their kids are and how wonderful their parenting techniques are. I may be wrong but I feel that those who tend to brag are those who are most insecure about things. I don't know what, exactly, but I think there are underlying reasons why some parents act the way they do. They just unfortunately don't realize that they are going overboard most of the time and exasperating the pants off of other people in the process.

I am not a perfect parent. I would be the first one to admit that to anyone who would ask. But I do try my all to raise my kids the best ways I know how. I just don't feel comfortable flaunting their accomplishments to anyone who would listen. I'd rather people praise my kids on their own initiative rather than blatantly encouraging them to do so.

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