I'll tell you this: if I'd been the mom upthread who got crap from someone for buying diet Coke, I'd be typing this from prison right now, because I'll cut anyone who gets between me and the diet Coke. With all the misery and depravity in the world, that's what this person can't abide in another human being? Priorities, people.

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You rock, and I hope you get a good night's sleep! It sounds like you earned it today for sure.

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I really need this to be in me right now.

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I have to be involved with a million fundraisers. At my son's school, which is private due to some of his disabilities, I actually have to give them 25 parent service hours, or pay THEM $250.

Insane.

And the judgemental parenting is out of control. I was buying a billion Diet Cokes, because there was a rare sale, and the person bagging the groceries said, "You know that you're killing your children with this." Thanks? They're mostly for me, but i let my kids have some once a week as a treat?

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My kid got in trouble for jumping off the swings. They can't wear masks to school for halloween. There's so much crazy liability stuff, and the schools themselves make you feel like a shitty mom if you want to let them do half the stuff you used to do yourself. I mean, it's not like I've got my son in a metal car seat with sharp ass edges, like I used to have when I was little. Grr.

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Also, I would have slapped that bagger in the face. I can't imagine blithely saying (to a customer!) "Oh, what you just purchased here makes you an awful parent."

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I am moving to Mumbai later this year, and believe you me, I will be drinking more than my fair share of these (and chai, and mango lassis....)

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@ritualtheory is ready for her star now, Mr. DeMille: Point. It's interesting how the NY Times seems to be like the coming out party for these women.

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Perhaps she shouldn't have stated so publicly how she doesn't love her children like she loves her husband (which, vice versa shouldn't be mentioned either. It's not a freaking contest), but I loved that her entire life isn't centered on Organic Fruits and Piano Lessons/Scuba/Soccer/Five language, and how much of a genius their child is. I'm happy for women that feel that way, and I'm glad to see that their children are given so much attention. But it's just not me, and I was grateful to see that it's an equally good response to give into your own interests, rather than submit yourself to the whims of your children.

That's not smug. That's trying to be strong in the face of such opposition. The mommy drive-bys are fierce and unrelenting.

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The way she phrases things, she assumes that all mothers feel exactly the way she does, constantly worrying about motherhood. I'm sure some women are out just living their lives, read this and then wonder why they don't feed their kids organically and run the bake sale.

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The image that got thrown on her in the aftermath of the NYT article was unfortunate and completely shocking to her. Did anyone for any reason watch the Oprah that she was on after that article came out? The women in the audience were about ready to tie her up and set her on fire, and it made me see even more where she was coming from. OK, I don't have kids (yet...maybe), but I do know mothers who devote their entire being to their children, and I think it's fair that Waldman responded to that. I mean, what's the matter with it? She loves her husband, they have hot sex, she'll be likely to treat her kids like they're humans instead of little bots, and she makes a great point that her husband doesn't have the same feelings of guilt as she does. OK, there may be lots of women on here who don't think this is special at all, but there are lots and lots of women in the US who do actually sacrifice absolutely everything in their lives for their kids, which is, of course, not healthy. I don't see that much to hate about it, honestly.

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