Being a Young Mom

Please allow me to vent.

One of the biggest frustrations I have had since Landon was born, is people looking at me, thinking I'm a teen mom, and making comments about how I can't possibly know what I'm doing with a baby.

Now, I'm not upset that people think I look young. Someday, I will really appreciate that. And, I'm not saying teen mom's don't know how to be parents. When I had Landon, I gained a lot of respect for other young mom's and especially single parents because being a parent is exhausting. I'm blessed to have Tyler as my life partner.

Anyways, here are a couple examples.

When Landon was about a month old, I took him on a walk to target. The weather is usually pretty warm in California and this particular day, it was in the low 70s. I had him in his stroller and he didn't have a jacket on, but he did have a blanket and it was warm outside. An older lady approached me and our conversation went something like this.
      Lady: How old is your baby?
     Me: He is a month old. (I replied nicely thinking she was simply starting a conversation over an adorable baby)
     Lady: Well, don't you think he should be wearing a jacket?
     Me: Its pretty warm outside and he doesn't seem to be cold. (I was caught off guard, but still replied with a happy tone)
     Lady: Thats the problem with you teen parents, you have no idea what you are doing.

Not only was I shocked that she had the nerve to say that, but I was mad, upset, and hurt that she thought I wasn't fit to take care of my child. And! I was mad that she was coming down on teen parents like that. I know of some great parents who had their babies at a young age and they are doing a great job raising their kids.

Another time, I was at the park with Landon. We were playing in the grass and someone approached me and in a not so nice tone, she asked me why I didn't have a mask over Landon's face. I didn't understand why she was asking me that until she went on this big rant about all the diseases he could catch.
     Once again, someone made me feel like I wasn't capable of taking care of my baby.

Now, I'm not saying that I don't appreciate advice from parents who have more experience than I do, but it throughly upsets me when I feel belittled by someone because of the way I choose to take care of Landon.

I must say, I am proud of Tyler and I because I think we have done a great job (so far) with Landon. He is happy, healthy, and developing into an awesome little boy. And, I do have a sense of pride because we have done this on our own. This isn't really ideal because we want Landon to be around our family, but for now...its just Tyler and I.

So, I guess there really isn't a conclusion or a point to this, but I felt the need/want to express some of my current frustrations.