How do you handle criticism from your own family about the way in which you parent?

[Anonymous]

My older brother, who does not have kids of his own and whom I also live with, often criticises me and the way in which I parent my 1-year-old. I am very well aware that allowing kids to watch TV is not good for them; however, allowing my daughter to watch TV is often the only way I can get a slight break from her clinginess and her just wanting to constantly be in my arms so that I can do things like eat and do the laundry. My brother doesn't wash up his own dishes, and he doesn't help clean the house, but he expects either me or our dad to do these things. Yet at the same time, because I am forced to allow my daughter to watch TV to actually clean or just eat something, my brother gets pissed at me and will full-on criticise me for allowing her to watch TV. Even if it's just music playing on the TV, I know my daughter will sit there listening too. What's even more frustrating about this is that he does not once ever criticise our other two sisters who have gone out and brought tablets and who allow their kids to watch TV on those tablets 24/7, but he will criticise me for allowing my daughter to watch TV for an hour or two max a day.

[Anonymous]

Tell him ”Ok you can babysit her while I do this then. No? Why though? If you’re so horrified that she’s in front of the tv then surely you as the good loving concerned uncle should be willing to come to the rescue. No? Ok then shut the fuck up and go wash your dishes instead, they won’t clean themselves”. Then anytime he says anything about it take the baby and hand her over to him without saying anything and walk away. Every time. He’ll likely shut up after a while.

[TheSpectre]

Ah! How dare he! What he could possibly know about parenting when he does not have a kid?

[jahaims]

Tell them that they are fuck ups and have no room to give advice