There are as many ways to be a mother as there are mothers - and whatever kind you are, you can be darn sure of one thing. Whatever you do, someone - indeed, quite possibly everyone - is going to tell you that you are doing it wrong. If you spend lots of time with your children and go to all their events, you're an overbearing busybody living vicariously through them. If you let them be more independent, you are selfish and don't care about anyone but yourself. If you keep them close under your eye, you're a cotton-wool-swaddling hypochondriac. If you let them range free, you're a neglectful, naive fool who is just asking for a predator to make off with them during the night.

Yep, motherhood is a minefield... but only because nosy people make it one. The truth is that most moms are doing their best, and most kids know that. A lot of the stuff we sweat over - like how much TV to watch or whether they ate their broccoli - will come out in the wash. That means how you parent should, ideally, be a choice you make based on your personality, your child's personality, and the father (or other primary caregiver's) personality, all taking into account your resources and circumstances. Whatever comes out the other side, as long as it's not violent or literally forgetting to feed the kids, is probably just fine. Let's see where you land on the mom scale!