No, I'm not a parent, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I recently shared an article on my Facebook wall from CNN (Permissive parents: Curb your brats by LZ Granderson). The author was expressing disdain for parents who allow their children to run amok in public. I knew the topic had the potential to ignite a firestorm amongst my 1,300+ Facebook friends. But, though varying opinions were expressed, my fabulous friends were respectful to one another (why I love them).

It would be easy to rehash the debate here (and someone will inevitably add a comment which does), but it reminded me of something else that I've dealt with for 20 years or so: parental prejudice. You think I mean that little miracle that occurs when a parent can only see the good in their child and are completely oblivious to the not so good stuff. Nope. I'm talking about parents' prejudice towards non-parents.

I fall into the latter category. I don't have kids. I have no memory of ever wanting kids. It's probably a topic for another blog post on another day, but let's just say this... you know how most people can't imagine not having kids? I'm completely the opposite. I can't explain it and I'm totally happy so, for now, we'll leave it at that.

Apparently that “decision” has rendered ideas I have about raising children absolutely worthless. Before all the parents get nuts, this is not true 100% of the time with a single parent or set of parents. And there are plenty out there who actually trust me with their children on a regular basis (the fools!). But most of them, at one point or another, have (loudly) told me “You just don't understand!”

They are right, of course. I believe nothing can prepare you for parenthood and I have enormous respect for those who take that path. You think God doesn't have a sense of humor? God took humans, with all their flaws, and put them in charge of rearing new humans with the expectation that the next crop would be better than the last. REALLY?!?

Wait it gets better... when faced with this ludicrous challenge, by and large, humankind is... successful! Huh? OK, this clearly merits further thought. So this flawed human is now offering her humble opinion.

What do “successful” people have in common? In general, they are not raised in a bubble. They have exposure to different ideas. That exposure can come from avid reading in a shack or courtesy of the finest educational institutions in the world. It's the act of thinking and exploring that expands our minds and therefore our capabilities.

So back to parenting... you know, that thing I don't know anything about. Most parents talk about how all-encompassing the task is and  you don't have to be a parent to know they are correct. Such an overwhelming endeavor doesn't leave the feeble human brain a lot of room to accept more input. It only stands to reason that the normal parent will prioritize what they allow into the very small space left. That's why parenting magazines, websites, and “Mom Blogs” are so popular (speaking of which, my friend Jennifer Gerlock has a Mom Blog called Hip As I Wanna Be and I'm told it's quite good... come on, why would I read such a thing!). It's kindred spirits, battling a slew of new challenges, looking to one another for help. I love that. I'm big into community.

BUT, my dear, tired, parent friends, I implore to find a bit of room for your childless friends.. My brain is free of the potty-training and future-planning that occasionally bogs you down. You never know what bits of applicable genius I may randomly spout. I promise that my ideas are not a question of your ability, but rather simply an offering of another perspective.  Remember, growth comes from both the thinking and exploring. I know (or I've heard) that it feels like you need all the answers. You don't. No one has them, anyway. The rest of us are here to help. And maybe, just maybe, we will inspire you to discover solutions lurking inside you.