You’re the Landlord, Mama—Stop Renting Space to Rude Opinions

One thing I’ve learned as a mom, wife, business owner, and human in general is this: People will always have something to say.

Whether it’s about your parenting, your house, your job, your body, your business, or even the way you cut your kid’s sandwich—someone, somewhere, is going to have an opinion.

And I’ll be honest—sometimes it stings.

Maybe it’s a passive-aggressive comment on how you let your kid wear mismatched socks to school (hey, it was spirit week, Karen). For the record—my youngest rarely has matching socks. Some days they’re different colors, and on the rare occasion they match, they’re totally different heights. But guess what?

He dressed himself, and I got the other 47 things done that morning. He’s 8. He doesn’t care. Someday he might—but for now, I’m letting him live his free-spirited, tall-sock-loving life without judgment. Because honestly?

Life’s too short to care if your socks match!

Instead of judging, what if we just supported each other more?

When I see a kiddo rocking an extra uniquely styled outfit, I make it a point to compliment them—and if it feels right, I’ll ask if they picked it out themselves.

A fellow mom did that for me once, and I’ll never forget it. She saw my son’s wild outfit and instead of side-eyeing me, she smiled and said, “Did you dress yourself today? I love it!” That simple comment let me know she got it. She understood.

It was a small thing, but it felt like a gift. And now? I try to pay that gift forward every chance I get.

We were going to a hockey game with a Red, White, and Blue theme, but this is not far off of his normal attire!

Maybe it’s someone questioning your decision to work outside the home, or stay home, or start a blog, or post that video of your crockpot chili that didn’t look like it came from a magazine.

No matter what it is, the noise is real. And it’s exhausting if you let it in unchecked.

But here’s the thing: not all feedback is bad.

If we want to grow—in our parenting, in our relationships, in our personal goals—we have to learn to tell the difference between hate and helpfulness.

Some feedback comes from a place of love, experience, or genuine care. It might be hard to hear, but it’s meant to help you. That’s constructive criticism, and when it’s offered with respect, it’s worth listening to.

But some comments? Yeah, that’s just noise—criticism born from jealousy, misunderstanding, insecurity, or someone’s bad mood.

The tricky part is figuring out which is which.

Ask Yourself:

• Is this person speaking from a place of love and care?

• Is their advice based on experience or insight I value?

• Does this feedback challenge me, but also feel like it could help me grow?

Or...

• Is this comment meant to tear me down?

• Does it feel personal, judgmental, or unnecessary?

• Is this someone who even knows what my day-to-day looks like?

If it’s the latter—kindly decline the drama and reclaim your mental real estate. You don’t have to carry around other people’s opinions like a diaper bag full of rocks. (Your shoulders are already carrying enough.)

Here's What I Know:

You’re doing your best. You’re juggling a lot. And the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook for life or motherhood—despite what Pinterest or perfect Instagram posts try to tell us. And let’s be real—most of those comments? They usually come from a place of jealousy, a bad mood, or someone having a rough day. Nine times out of ten, they have nothing to do with you or how you’re doing as a mom.

At Mom Life Playbook, we don’t aim for perfect. We aim to show up, love big, learn from our mistakes, and maybe laugh at ourselves a little along the way.

So the next time someone throws shade, take a breath.

Ask yourself if it’s helpful.

If it is—great. Let it help you grow.

If it’s not—bless and release.

And go on being the rockstar you are… mismatched socks, crockpot dinners, chaos and all.

Because you are doing great, mama.