I just realized something.....
If you've been reading my posts lately (I'm not so narcissistic as to think that someone's out there hanging on my every word), I've been having a crisis of Mommyhood. Am I doing the right thing? Did I make the right birth plan 2 years ago, should I have another? Blah blah blah. It might have to do with the idle time I have these first couple weeks of my vacay.
Another high school acquaintance I reconnected with on FB is having a baby. This chick is DYNAMIC: works for the NAACP, natural hair, natural food, married in a blue wedding dress, the whole nine. My best friend sent me a text collecting bets that this girl's kid will be the 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) black President. A thought kinda creeped into my head "what does she think my kid will be?" but I shook it off. It matters to me what people think of my parenting. I don't know why but it does but speculating about it would be beyond dumb. She's known me since 3rd grade and she's pretty honest so she think I'm raising a serial killer, she'll tell me.
But as I'm reading through her posts about natural birth and $50 diaper bags (really? I just got a big purse) I had a revelation: all moms are really passionate about SOMETHING. I am passionate about my kid growing up Catholic and appreciate his mulitculturalism (black and Mexican) and grows up around people or all walks or life and appreciates all kinds of music. It's not as trendy as home birthing or being an attachment parent and it's not as noble as home schooling or EBF but it's something......
Right?
Re: I just realized something.....
I'm curious as to why you feel that homeschooling and EBF are more 'noble' than promoting multiculturalism, self identity, appreciation of the arts and a faith that you are passionate about. Do NOT sell yourself short & don't place higher value on things that other people value than your own preferences b/c others make it seem like those are the 'best' or most 'noble' decisions for parents. You are focusing on the values that are most important to you and feel will serve your child well throughout his life, which have the same level of value as those other things even if ppl on this board do not talk about them constantly.
Met 12-2008, Married 05-2010, TTC 08-2017
As someone who EBF in part because I'm too lazy to mess around with bottles, I can promise you that it's not necessarily done for noble reasons.
However, I agree that all parents have something that matters to them. We also have our own strengths and weaknesses.
I'm not great at getting the girls outdoors. It's winter here, it's mostly cold, and I'm not a very outdoorsy kind of person. BUT DD1, like most kids, adores being outside. So I try to make sure that we head outdoors every/most days.
Sometimes I feel bad because I know some Mums are awesome at getting their kids outdoors.
But I also know I have my strengths that make other Mums say to me, "I don't know how you do that, it would drive me nuts."
It doesn't make me a better or worse Mum, just a different Mum. Anyway, it sounds to me like you're doing a great job with your kids.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old