Jeez! Performance parenting is driving me insane!

[ChilledFizz]

Has anyone else noticed a performance parenting epidemic going on?

I know we all ham it up sometimes, but honestly this competitive, virtue signalling parenting seems to be turning into the norm.

I really appreciate the responses thankyou, xx

@Annaghgloor being a good singer or journalist doesn't automatically make you a good parent.
Her success and 'mild fame' aren't relevant. She's a mother like everyone else discussing their experiences of being judged or judging here

My thoughts exactly @AngelinaFibres, performance-parenting-by-proxy via the medium of MN... plus, I'm certain that this same story has wormed its way into previous PP(P) threads too!

[quote girlmom21]@Annaghgloor being a good singer or journalist doesn't automatically make you a good parent.
Her success and 'mild fame' aren't relevant. She's a mother like everyone else discussing their experiences of being judged or judging here [/quote]
Why would you equate being mildly (or wildly) famous with any kind of parenting? I certainly didn’t.

@Annaghgloor because this is a thread about performance parenting and you came here to talk about how your successful, mildly famous thread felt judged...

What else is she being judged on that you felt necessary to bring to a thread about parenting? Am I missing something?

[quote girlmom21]@Annaghgloor because this is a thread about performance parenting and you came here to talk about how your successful, mildly famous thread felt judged...

What else is she being judged on that you felt necessary to bring to a thread about parenting? Am I missing something? [/quote]
Why I mentioned that she was successful and famous, rather than one of the more introverted, solitary and anxious of the Mnetters spectrum, but nonetheless found threads like this one really bad for her MH in making her realise that other people particularly other women were actually being as judgemental of her parenting as her worst fears suggested, really isn't a difficult concept to grasp, @girlmom21, but you are clearly absolutely determined not to get it.

I'm sure she's far from alone, as other posters on the thread have suggested of their own experiences. I think the forum is valuable in all kinds of ways, but the impression given on some threads, that the average café, school playground, bus stop or supermarket is populated by women giving other women the side-eye for Doing Parenting Wrong, isn't a particularly attractive one.

@myusernamewastakenbyme

I was in the Science Museum yesterday...It was full of them...all talking to their kids at full volume for the benefit of everyone else around them. So glad my kids are grown up.

Maybe they were just talking to their kids? 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Franca123

Are you sure they're showing off? Maybe they're just talking about books and walking?

Right?!

I am a parent and hold my hands up, I get annoyed by the performance parenting of others but on the flip side to be fair - the two big posts by

Annaghgloor
MammaMacgill87

Have made me think aaah, ok yes there are other issues with people - who are we to know why people go about the way they do.

Thank you for the honesty and insight about why people do this. I might still eye roll...but you are right in that I can choose to attend further or not.

If I'm feeling like I don't want to chat that day I can make that clear by not engaging and moving away, etc

There are a LOT of people who think other people are looking at them when they really aren't. Which is why I'm skeptical about the 'looking around trying to catch someone's eye' posts. I would not be surprised if the parent is just getting on with talking to their child with no interest in other parents at all.

I've made this conclusion as being visually impaired, there have been a LOT of people over the years who think I'm looking at them when I've barely clocked their existence O_o.

Maybe also it's the personality of the parent and an extrovert/introvert type thing

Extrovert parents in public might love a bit of showcasing, or it's just natural to them to engage gregariously with others...

Introverts might be sensitive to the invasive noise of others and find it irritating

Maybe?