14 Questions Every Mom Should Ask Herself Before Commenting On That Parenting Article

A headline can be a saucy minx. Sometimes it’s coy and designed to tease, sometimes it’s straightforward and clear. Either way, it’s usually safe to assume that there’s some information in the piece that’s not in the headline, and you might look just a little bit silly if you comment without considering all the facts.

I’m betting that everyone has seen pieces with a crazy twist ending, or that hold off until the end to express balanced views, or that include super-important details in the final paragraph. I would hate to see some of you miss those mic drops and feel lame after commenting.

I know, I know. What are comment sections for if not for the subtle art of humble bragging? Seriously though, let’s say you’re reading an article about breastfeeding challenges, and many of the comments support the idea that, yes, numerous women have challenges with breastfeeding. To swoop in to say, “I don’t know why this article is here, some of us don’t have any trouble breastfeeding ever,” could hurt a lot of your fellow commenters and invalidate their experience.

I agree, sometimes it’s funny when random, off-topic things are blurted out. I love walking into a room and shouting about cows or spaghetti or other ridiculous stuff just as much as the next person. But please trust me that this usually works best when toddlers or other young children are the culprits, and not adults interrupting an otherwise civil discussion online.

Serious question: as long as the choices in question aren’t endangering a child, should we really be judging? Yeah, of course, we all have our own opinions about what’s best for our kids, but given the fact that we’ve never walked in the shoes of other parents, how can we really understand everything that goes into their choices?

Anything that begins with, “I could never do that…” and ends with “...because I love my child,” deserves a second, careful read-through. Also, know that every time you say this, a baby otter dies.

Spelling and grammar not your thing? Honestly, fair enough. However, if you post something without reading through it and fixing the typos, be forewarned that other readers might be distracted and, as a result, miss the points you’re attempting to make. Also, do you really want to give them the satisfaction of catching your mistakes? Nope.

This one has saved me so many times. It’s the least I could do to offer it up to everyone else.

Of course, you may want to chime in to merely add your support, which is totally cool and probably very appreciated. However, I promise you’ll look even more informed if you merely mention that something’s already been said, and you’re intentionally signal boosting.

Again, there are circumstances when you don’t owe it to the other party to stick to norms, and I get that. And, of course, norms are going to vary based on the setting and the topic. However, if everyone else is civilly talking about the benefits of disposable vs cloth diapers, and you start dropping fiery f-bombs everywhere, you may raise some virtual eyebrows. (Everyone knows that f-bombs only belong in conversations about pacifiers anyway.)

Please remember that the person you're talking to, while behind a computer (or on their phone) is still a human being. They're not unfeeling robots devoid of emotion. I promise.

As previously mentioned, sometimes discussions get heated and the passion you’re bringing to the conversation is valid and important. However, there are questionable times when you might want to gird your loins or crack your knuckles or do whatever you need to do to prepare yourself for the onslaught of responses you may or may not (but probably will) receive.

Likely? No. Possible? Yes. Yes, it is. You’ve been warned, Trisha.

And of course, I mean mid-movie Regina George, not Lacrosse Regina George. The exception is if you’re intentionally quoting her. If that’s the case, then by all means, please proceed.

When you’re done commenting, get in loser, we’re going shopping.