3 Ways to Handle a Mompetitor
They're everywhere: women who love telling you how superior their kid is at every single bleeping thing. REDBOOK readers helped us deal.
STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR PRIORITIES
"The worst are the moms on Facebook who post every five minutes about some inane accomplishment or another, even what healthy foods their kids eat! They can make you feel bad about yourself (and your frozen chicken nuggets) if you let them, but I just remind myself that I've actually gotten dirty playing with my kid during the day while they're busy bragging online." - CHRISTINA W., 33, KNOXVILLE, TN
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DISTRACT AND CONQUER
"Growing up, we lived next to a woman who constantly talked about her two girls. My mom never competed; she'd just bring up another topic. Now, whenever I meet a mompetitor, I follow my mom's lead: I ask the woman what book she's reading, whether she's seen any new movies, or even how she and her husband met. I make it clear that while I'm interested in talking, I'm not interested in talking about her wonderful kids - or my own. I do enough of that with my husband!" - DIANE G., 50, DIX HILLS, NY
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LA LA LA STOP LISTENING
"Every time I run into this one mom, she'll ask me some obvious question ('Is your son walking yet?' Um, yeah! He's 2!) as an excuse to then launch into a barrage of her precious kid's feats. I never say anything - seriously, I give her a blank stare - because, basically, I feel bad for her. Anyone with that much to prove has bigger issues. And I don't need to deal with them; I've got my own!" - NORA W., 34, BURLINGTON, VT
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