Conclusions

Earlier today, I was thinking about all the drama that has gone on in my life and in my friends' lives lately. And I thought about how my life is about to change yet again very soon and the drama that could come with that. And I came to a conclusion. I will not allow other people's issues to run my life. I will not stop going places because I might run into them. I will not take opportunities away from my child because someone else has different ideas about how children should be raised. I will not change who I am because someone else thinks that how I do things is wrong. No. I am putting my foot down right now. I am who I am. I believe what I believe for a reason. I did not just fall into my parenting style. It evolved from my teaching style. If someone doesn't like it, too bad for them. I will not apologize for who I am or for who my child is or for how I parent him. 

I don't get why everyone is so interested in how everyone else parents. It's like some crazy sort of competition where everyone is judging each other. Who can outdo whom? Our parents didn't have these issues. There weren't the "mommy wars" that are so fueled by the media nowadays. When can we get past the constant comparing of ourselves and our children? There are no "better parents" or "best parenting practices." Unless you are causing physical and emotional harm to your children by abusing them, then you are a good parent! If you are doing the best that you can with the information that you have, you are a fantastic parent. Just because you may make a different choice than I or someone else in your life, doesn't mean that your choice is wrong. Even if down the road you would have made a different choice, it is still not wrong. Part of life is growing and changing, and sometimes our beliefs and values are challenged and those change too. That does not make all of our prior decisions wrong!

I do not judge other people who make different choices than I do. My parents raised me to respect differences and I do. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and my choices either. It would be a pretty boring world if we all agreed. We all make the best decisions and choices we can with the information we have at the time. A choice I made with E in the early days, I may not make with this new baby, and that is okay! We need to stop attacking each other and respect that everyone parents and lives their lives differently. And that is okay! I yearn for the day when there aren't any labels for parenting styles and instead we just parent. One day, my friends, one day.