Do other parents make you feel inadequate ??

[nutcracker]

A friend of mine invited me round for coffee today. Her SIL was also going to be there with her 2 yr old and 11 week old ds's.

Don't get me wrong, her SIL was lovely, very friendly etc but she made me feel so inadequate.

When it got to lunch time my friend got up to make lunch (ham salad sanwiches) and her SIL had brought her 2 yr old sons lunch of celery, cucumber, and bread with her in a little box, which I felt was a bit funny as there was nothing wrong or unhealthy with the food my friend was providing.
She also refused to let her Ds have a cake after his lunch saying that he doesn't have stuff like that and, then asked if my friend would turn the tv off as her ds doesn't watch it.

My kids all watch tv, eat crisps, cake etc and I didn't research the best baby bottle or reusable nappy for them etc, and I just sat there feeling like a crap parent.

I know it's silly but i did.

Hmmmmmmmmm.... shall I be the one to disagree here?

I think it's silly about the food, nothing wrong with a bit of cake and the lunch provided sounds great and it's rude not to eat the food offered.

But I have been known to feel v. uncomfortable with the TV being on when visiting people, and have even on occasion asked if it could be turned off, as I feel that children should play together when they meet up, not watch TV.

As we all try to tell our children don't give into peer pressure to do the "right thing" pity as mums we find peer pressure so hard to ignore ourselves

I'm with you there emkana.
Running off to bed now.

I'm confident in my parenting. The only way I've been made to feel inadequate was by an (ex) friend who I know felt so insecure she had to "up" herself all the time by snide remarks about me not being a yummy mummy. She even managed it when I was in labour. Actually, that was the last time I bothered phoning her. She was always the type to complain if she saw total strangers giving McDs to their kids - made me want to give mine a G and T with a bag of pork scratchings.

the lunch thing I wouldnt have a prob with but like emkana i wouldnt expect the tv to be on in any friend's house if there were visitors. One reason is that i actually cannot "zone out" the tv and consequently conversation is very stilted as I cannot usually hear the person with whom i am talking. I make sure the tv is off when friends visit me

my ex's mother made me feel inadequate, everytime i took ds there. for him to have a bottle she would put a bin bag covered by a table cloth on teh floor and a tea towel around his neck ffs ( i didn't go there often). she even made him (not able to walk at this point) have his shoes off in case he got teh carpet dirty. omg so glad she is in isle of wight now ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sigh of relief.