"Um, excuse me, but did I ask you for advice?"

I don't mean to slam anyone here. I just want to point out that people like me are not looking for advice or suggestions unless we actually say things such as, "What do you think of..." or "I'd love your opinion on this..."

Here are some things that have been told to be by random people in our lives as well as absolute strangers since we returned home from Ethiopia:

1. "Your kids should be in school. You should fast track them immediately. They should enter school immediately." (said by a medical professional who met my girls one time.)

2. "You should not put your kids in school yet. They need time to adjust."

3. "You need to buy the hair product in the brown and yellow tube."

4. "You need to buy Soft Sheen by Carson, it's in a pink bottle"

5 "You need to buy Hair Custard, it's available online."

6. "Are your kids always like this? Do you know about Reactive Attachment Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? You need to set your expectations." (said by a person I met once, at a funeral, before she uttered this gem.)

7. "Your kids should take tennis lessons."

8. "Your kids should be in gymnastics."

9. "Your girls should take karate."

10. "You should keep their hair in braids all the time." (really, all the time? I should never take them out, ever?)

8. "You should have them eat protein all day long." (great idea, I will install a feeding tube in the bathrooms)

9. "You should never give them any sweets." (uh-huh, let me take the lollipop out of your ear."

10. "You should take them to the city as much as possible."

11. "Whatever you, don't bring them to NYC too early."

12. "You should give them Benadryl."

13. "Give them Zyrtek, never give them Benedryl."


Ok, so you get the idea. I smile and say, "Wow. I didn't consider doing that."
And likely still won't.