10 Things Non-Moms Say That Moms Would Love To Never Hear Again

You're allowed to be exhausted, of course, but telling a new mom how tired you are when there's a good chance she hasn't slept more than a few hours at a time in a long time, is probably going to make her resent you a little (if not lose her mind). I remember showing up to my friend's kid's first birthday party hungover (before I had kids of my own), and talking about how exhausted I was. I know now that this was obviously super inconsiderate of me, and I cringe when I think about ever being that person. If you're tired, that's totally cool, but maybe we should just all agree to avoid comparing the culprits behind our sleepless nights.

No, not all functions or gatherings or events are kid friendly, but when you tell a parent that something isn't "kid friendly," all we hear you say is, "Leave your stupid kid at home because he or she ruins everything." This is obviously an exaggeration, but being a parent already feels isolating enough without having our friends basically tell us that we're not welcome somewhere if we've got our kids in tow.

Well, maybe, but maybe not. Finding a babysitter, especially last minute, is never as easy as it sounds. It involves having to trust another person with your child's life, whether you know the person keeping them or not; It involves planning, and possibly money, not to mention the complete alignment of the stars. Sure, we need to get out and be social and feel like normal humans again, but doing so at the drop of a hat really isn't as easy as people without kids make it sound. If it were, we'd probably show up in public sans kids a little more often.

Nope, no you wouldn't. Being pregnant isn't a death sentence, and when you tell your friend with kids that finding out you were pregnant would basically be the end of your time here on earth, well, we kind of want to kick you in the shins. It's completely okay if you don't want to ever have kids (and pregnancy doesn't mean you have to become a mother, because we have options now), but try not to make those of us that do have children feel like our lives are over because of a life-choice we made, because they're not. Our lives are different after kids, yes, but they're certainly not over.

Oh you know, just taking care of my kids. I have a friend that asks me this literally every time I see him, and I can't help but to get even more annoyed each time. Like, where the hell do you think I've been? In the wilderness? On an abandoned island hanging out with a volleyball named Wilson? I'm not an abandoned Tom Hanks, sir, I'm a mom, so obviously that's what I've been doing.

Puppies are a time consuming, yes, but they're not babies. Comparing a furry animal that can eat on its own or pee outside (one that doesn't require burping or breastfeeding or doesn't need to be taught, you know, everything about everything) to a baby that needs you every second of every day, just isn't accurate. So saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean about being so tired. I had to get up and let my puppy out at 2:00 in the morning!" is going to make your friend that has kids, and definitely loses sleep every night, want to slap you. Did you check to see if your puppy was breathing every couple of hours? Did you breastfeed your puppy? Did you change your puppy's explosive diaper? No? Then don't compare puppies to babies.

Right, you would never let your kids watch too much TV or feed them food that wasn't freshly picked from the organic garden in your back yard or let them pitch a monumental fit in a public place, because you're a parenting expert. We all were parenting experts before we had kids, myself included, but when good intentions meet reality, we often fall short of our own unrealistic expectations. I consider myself to be a somewhat seasoned parent at this point in my life, and I still don't know what the hell I'm doing some days. Sometimes, my kids eat broccoli for breakfast, and sometimes they get into the dog food, and yes, probably swallow a piece or two. Regardless, they're alive and they're healthy and they're happy (well, most of the time), and I'm no expert, but I think that's all that really matters. Besides, dog food is packed with protein.

What do you mean "no fun?" You don't consider constructing the perfect blanket fort or making water balloons or baking the perfect cookies or being able to quote Doc McStuffins to be fun? Parents are still fun, it's just that our versions of fun have changed a little since we had kids.

Wine, mostly. Also, surrounding ourselves with friends who don't judge the circus that is life with toddlers.

Really? If you're telling your friend who has kids that you can't stand kids, you're probably a terrible person. Again, if you don't want kids, that's totally cool and understandable, but don't express that hearing kids cry makes your ovaries shrivel up and die to your friend that has kids. First of all, rude. Second, being a parent is tough, and by telling someone with kids that you can't stand kids, it makes that parent feel like you pity her life; like her days disgust you, and like she's unworthy of your holiness because she decided to start a family. We've got different lives, sure, but that doesn't mean that we can't find common ground and try to understand one another. Women with and without kids need all the support they can get, so supporting one another despite our differences is something we should all be willing and able to do.