To have snapped at my neighbour?

[ClapHandsIfYouBelieveInFatties]

I feel bad so I may have been.

She's 26 with one baby. I'm 42 with a ten year old and a 6 year old.

We chat...however...if I EVER say anything about "Oh DD was so tired this morning" or a normal comment about them then she jumps in with "advice".

It just annoys me so much!

She said just now "Oh well was she watching DVDs last night?"

and I said "No...well she watched a bit of TV after her supper...then went to bed at 7.30" and she launched into "OH WELL! What do you expect!? Research says blah blah...

and I interrupted her and said "I've had DC for over ten years...don't tell me how to parent!"

but in a laughing sort of voice...not mean.

I have terrible PMT if that's any excuse?

tut tut is there a thread about you yet?

these novices eh who think they know it all. Console yourself with the fact that one day she is in for a shock when the tot does not follow the owners manual!

I know! I want her to understand what it's like trying to parent a wiry, slightly mad toothless gnome who may only be 6 but can already knock me to the floor "for a giggle" and a surly ten year old who thinks she knows it all!

out of interest, what did the research say? no TV or something crazy?

I expect she has too much time on her hands !

turn it around and give her heaps of unwanted baby advice!

That's exactly how I would have reacted. My laughing sort of voice may well have been pared down though. Funny how it is easy to quote the books and in a perfect world advice until you've actually done it!!

It's not so much the advice but the judgmental comment, isn't it?

And a 7:30pm bed time for a 6 year old is not too late, IMO. Unless she was up at 6 or something.

How irritating of her.

I've got a 3 (going on 18) year old. I put her to bed just after 7.30 last night as she was tired from a late night the night before. It as 9.45pm before she finally gave in and went to sleep. Before that she was dancing around, singing and playing loudly with her toys. She'd watched 10 mins of TV as a rare treat (I was trying to catch up with some emails urgently).

Most evenings we have no TV. We have no sugar past 3pm. We have a quiet story, milk, etc. It rarely makes a difference.

At least you have the benefit of hindsight. Give it six or eight months then pop round to her with gin and earplugs! :)

I know! I can't wait! Her baby is only just getting mobile...once she's up and about and running away then she will look back AND WEEP! I saw her this morn and she was fine. But it annoys me that I have to defend myself! She really IS lovely. but maybe it's her youth that makes her as she is.