Babysitting prankWhen I was pregnant, I braced myself for a flurry of unwanted opinions and an outpouring of objections from strangers regarding my parenting choices.  Everyone always laments how many people in the grocery store tell them to do this, and how random restaurant patrons tell them not to do that. But in the nine years I've been raising my children, I can think of less than a handful of times when any random person has offered me such unsolicited advice.

And it's certainly NOT because I'm doing everything right. The fact is, I think this is one of those parenting myths. I think the opposite is actually true -- that people are hesitant about offering parents opinions, even when they may need them.

Take the following video, for example.

In it a guy who goes by the name of Tom Mabe does a host of questionable activities like riding a motorcycle, drinking in a bar, and even trying to buy pot -- all with a baby strapped to his chest.

It's funny, because it's a prank; and watching it you know a real baby isn't in any danger. But the reactions of the people who clearly think it's a real baby are a bit frightening. Only one woman actually says something to him. No one calls the cops, or yells at him, or tries to get him to stop. Maybe some of that was edited out, but I'd like to think more people would be willing to jump in and help a baby out than this. We read so many stories of children being abused, neglected, and otherwise harmed, and everyone wants to know how it is that no one knew. Perhaps instead it's because no one did anything.

Take a look and see what you think. For me it confirms what I already suspected -- that people don't give too much advice to new parents, they don't give enough when it comes to the things that matter. 

Do you feel like you get lots of unwanted parenting advice, or does it seem like a myth?

 

Image via YouTube