That woman.

Today I'm so happy to say that I'm being featured over at The Mom Pledge Blog.

I remember coming across the Mom Pledge not too long ago and thinking how I could totally relate to the whole bullying thing... not so much as a mom, but certainly as a child. So I took the Pledge.

The thing is that I'm guilty of being a bit of an online bully. It happened when I became part of a clique of about 60 women who met on a wedding planning message board. (My entire life I never was part of a group and had hated the popular crowd, yet here I was part of one... it was quite odd.) We all migrated over to a private forum and boy did the snark fly and boy were some individuals (on the public forum) picked on.  Fortunately things sort of blew up after a couple years on that private forum and, after voicing my absolute disgust with how some of these grown women were still behaving, I left.

I have since apologized multiple times to one of the women who was belittled and bullied on that public forum.

And I have since vowed never to allow myself to go down that road again (and to be honest, the thought of ridiculing and/or bullying someone else's parenting never even dawned on me though I do see it happening all the time- particularly on mom message boards).

I didn't need to be the follower when I was a kid, and I certainly don't need it now as an adult and as a Mom.

That's not to say that I'm not perfect, nor does it mean I don't judge. I still do pass my judgements. I think we all do. It's just what you do with those judgements and how you act on them that matters.

The fact is that I have far more important things to do with my life than picking on and bullying other moms... mainly, I've got this amazing little girl to help raise into a beautiful, confident woman who can one day hold her head high and be kind and good and secure and independent.

And in order for my Lovie to be that woman, I must be that woman.