is it ever possible to "judge" (ie condemn) someone's parenting on a single criteria?

[hatwoman]

This parenting lark is a complex business. so is the definition of a "good" parent. The idea of being able to say that it is never possible to be a Good Parent (ergo you are a Bad Parent) because of one aspect of your parenting/behaviour is, imo laughable.

is it possible to be a good parent and take drugs?
is it possible to be a good parent and break the law?
is it possible to be a good parent and get shit-faced once a week?
is it possible to be a good parent and eat meat? have plastic toys? shop at Asda? abuse apostrophes?

imho to say an unqualified "no" to any of these is ridiculous. it's shallow and somewhat lacking in the solidarity that parents could do with. It can also come across as a tad arrogant.

glad I got that off my chest.

they look nice dreads to me. I haven't got credentials like you lot hanging out at Newbury but I've always regretted not having dreads in my younger days. sil had them when she was my bridesmaid which, much as she tried to contain it, sent shudders down my mum's back. but a friend pinned them to amzing pre-raphaelite effect

LOL!

Me too hatwoman. I feel so straight at the festivals with my bloody bob. All the cool people have dreads. I used to look OK before kids with blue hair and bizarre outfits, but always lacked in the dread dept.

Well done stripey.

er, everyone knows nits like clean hair

and yes, id talk to you at the gates. always keen to meet more degenerate mums than i [joke!]

I have a friend with waistlength dreads and I think they are gorgeous. I have seen her pile them up on top of her head, spray them with silver glitter and go out in a white lace wedding dress and look utterly, utterly magnificent.
Never went for dreads myself, being more of a glam rock chick, but did have green hair at times.

ive had blue. and pink (and blonde, brown, black and red, obv)

Oh I LOVE the dreads and wedding dress look. Especially at festivals with muddy walking boots underneath. In my dreams I look like that.

I like this thread! It just gets me sometimes, the way we all go on as if butter wouldn't melt in our mouths and we'd none of us had a past.