I’ll be the first person to admit I can be quite the Judgy McJudgerpants. We all can… it’s inherent any time someone is offended or feels superior.

I do it every time I see a newborn with a bottle of formula. I’m one of those die-hard breastfeeders. My babies did not have bottles. My disgust is palpable. I look apologetically at the baby. I stop just short of shaking my head at her. I admit it’s horrible- but I’m insanely judgmental when it comes to breast vs. bottle. Give your baby a boobie or don’t have one. Yeah… I feel that passionately.

We all have our soap boxes… and we all put those panties on occasionally.

Hippies in the grocery store in the winter with tiny barefoot babies? Don’t even get me started.

People who smoke with their kids in the car? Heaven help you if you’re stopped at a light next to me.

Men who have the audacity to talk to me about abortion? No. I’m sorry; if you can’t possibly do the job in question, you have absolutely no ground to stand on.

Blogging out loud leaves me surrounded by a fairly decent population of Judgy McJudgerpants. It used to really bother me. It used to hurt my feelings desperately.

Until I decided to take my Sensy panties off. There’s no point in being sensitive to people who don’t have a clue what your life consists of.

I’d rather go commando than worry about what people think about me. If they’re actual friends or people I care about? They’ll say it straight to my face. Or they wont. Either way? I have one basic piece of advice.

If you’re offended by something? You’re the only person that can change that. Speak up or shut up. Silently stewing or gossiping only makes you look like an ass.

Remember though, before you act on your Judgy panties, that there is always more to the story and always more than you can know when you’re simply looking at a situation from afar.

There are medical reasons some women can’t breastfeed. Some people don’t think twice about lighting up with their kids in the car because it’s how they were raised. Some men feel as passionately about being Pro Life as I do about being Pro Choice.

My feeling a certain way does not entitle me to pass judgement on anyone else who chooses differently. I have not walked a mile in their shoes, I do not know from whence they came.

But it doesn’t stop me any more than it ever stops anybody else. It’s human nature. It’s an immature way to self validate your convictions.

Embrace your Judgy panties…. and your Sensy panties too for that matter.

Just do the world a favor and wear your big girl/boy panties the majority of the time.