DEAR ABBY: What do I say to people who give me unsolicited parenting advice or scold my daughter in public? I would never interfere with another parent or direct a child who isn't in my care. What gives these people the right to barge into someone else's life in such a way?
I have been chastised for letting my daughter sit on the floor while waiting in a long line, letting her be more than 4 feet away from me in the aisles, and allowing her to speak loudly. She's 3. I don't hire a sitter for running errands and I can't leave her in the car.
It's hard enough wrangling an energetic kid while trying to shop, do banking or send mail without being constantly pestered by strangers. Do you have any thoughts on this? -- MOM IN HILLSBORO, ORE.
DEAR MOM: If your child is so disruptive that individuals feel the need to intervene or offer "parenting advice," then it's time you took some of it to heart. If she's bored while you're doing errands, bring something along for her to do rather than use her "outside voice" or run wild in the aisles.