Because I'm the Mom

Christina was way off base - you are right. Your daughter is eight, not eighteen. You have a right, even a moral responsibility to be checking up on her - I can guarantee my son will be dealing with much of the same when he is that age. And in my opinion, a "Bad Mom" would be the one NOT checking in the backpack for crumpled homework and moldy food. It's part of our job.

I don't know about that Pamela. I mean, when I was 8 I don't think I would have been too upset to find my mother going through my bag, but I would have been confused about why.
My mother left me to myself to do a lot of things, you could possibly even say she was a little negligent at times.
Yes, twice I left an apple in my bag for over a week and it turned into a sticky, sloppy and smelly mess. And then I had to clean it. But that way, I learned after a mistake or two to keep my things clean.
I forgot an important paper or two occasionally, but then I dealt with the repercussions of that and learned that I have to be organized. If I don't get the permission slip signed, I don't get to go on the school trip.
When my teddy bears ripped, I had sew them up, and now I'm one of the few girls in my class who knows how to sow.
And friendships, well, friendships can be hard to discuss with parents, when they get complicated they come right after boyfriends on the scale of difficultly of conversational material.
I'm not saying looking out for her the way you do is bad, the opposite actually, I might have turned out a more secure person if my mother had, but it's just that your blog entries give the impression that you're forgetting that she has other things than social dynamics to learn at this age as well.

Your article sounded just as inappropriately defensive and angry as your victim; maybe from your own insecurities. Someone strongly disagrees with you and you resort to name calling? "Mean Mothers, Mommy Drive-By, Snark-Attack"? That's the pot-calling-the-kettle-black.

We all have to do what we think is best for our own children in a safe, loving way. Unfortunately, some people feel what they have to say is so perfect and important that they must broadcast it out to the world via some sort of multi-media...and then feel offended when someone disagrees.

Just like Christina, you had way too much emotion and defensiveness in your article. If you feel you've done right by your child, then there is no reason to lash out to someone who disagrees.