'Trophy' moms

There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing and giving the best to your children. In fact, these are natural qualities that every sane parents have. But what if the best you think you are doing are not so "the best" in the eyes of other parents? What do you do then? What if your 'SIRIM' standards for dressing up and educating your children don't meet their ambitious high standards? What do you do then? What if they patronise you over the choices you make for your children's sake? What if these people were people whose opinions mattered highly to you? BUT what if every single bloody thing you do is never ever ever ever going to be good enough for these people?

Some people would say "Proof them wrong"; but how do we proof ourselves to righteous people who will always think that they are right, even when they are wrong? Then, to make matters worse, there are those who proudly call themselves trophy moms; proud mothers who rigidly criticise everything from the way another (not so 'trophy'cal) mom dresses her kid to the choices she makes for her kid.

Now, please understand that I am in no way insulting the term 'trophy moms', I'm just merely expressing my displeasure at those who take it upon themselves to judge other mothers. I wonder, have these women who pride themselves with being the best mother to their children, ever thought of how fortunate they are to be able to do so?

I have been judged; and I have failed countless times in the eyes of these 'trophy' moms. It's frustrating, really. What I think looks pretty on my kid, doesn't, in the eyes of these mothers; and most of the time I end up trying to figure out what or why did they think whatever my kid was wearing was (in a Malaysian urban phrase) - kampung-ish (because some people think citizens who live in a city are more stylish.... lah sangat.). Judgemental much? I think so too.

These remarks, however irritating it may be, have challenged me to become better and better at performing my job as a mother (I think) and it has also made me realise that no matter what others say about me or my kids; at the end of the day, it's my choice whether I want to be happy with my kids or let myself get stressed over a crude remark. Although, I'm still the clumsy girl and will probably always be; I love my children, more than life and like all mothers, I want every good thing to happen to them and I want them to be happy. At the end of the day, all of us have been given a choice: I choose not to be a judgemental and sarcastic person because I choose not to hurt people because I choose to be happy and I choose to put my faith in Allah.