I like you, I do. I enjoy our coffee sessions that end up taking all day when I came over for an hour. I like your positive, refreshing outlook on things that make me look at life in a different perspective. You are creative, witty, and smart, and I love that.
Your kids … I don’t like them so much.
It’s difficult for me, not liking your kids. I wish we could get our children together more and enjoy the families together. But our parenting styles are so opposite, I struggle with doing so.
For one thing, my kids are not accustomed to fighting physically. I know, I know, they are kids and they will play, but the rough-housing isn’t allowed at my house. When your kids tackled mine unexpectedly and pin them down and maybe even punch them, it catches them off guard and they don’t know what to do.
When your children scream at you, slap you, and tell you they hate you, I want to shield my babies so they don’t know that behavior just quite yet – in hopes it will be later, rather than sooner, when this happens for us.
I am a stickler for using manners at play dates. When your kids speed into my house, run straight for the fridge, get whatever they want, and run around amok, I feel torn between correcting them and expecting you to.
When you allow your children to come in like a tornado – and throw everything around then leave – I feel defeated in my explanation to my children of why it’s important that they do not do this.
I feel it is difficult to teach my children rules and manners if their friends have none.
I respect you enough not to ask you to change your parenting styles for me to be comfortable. I realize we are all different and have the right to raise our children in the manner we feel best. I would love to continue getting to know you better, just without our kids in the equation.
So if it’s okay with you, I would like to still be friends. Just mom friends, not necessarily family friends.
Coffee tomorrow?