Jan
2012
Stop the parenting comparisons
Being a new parent is tough enough that receiving emails left and right from Baby sites telling you WHERE your child should be at a specific stage and if that isn’t the case then your child is behind on the development front, rubs me the wrong way. I’m fed up with that. Fed up of being told WHEN my baby should be sleeping more, when my baby should be eating solids, when my baby should be pooping… I mean seriously?! Every child is different which also means every parent is different.
I started feeding Mavrick solids at 3 months because he needed it. Sure I got crazy mommy looks but I didn’t care. He’s my child and I know best. I’m the mother so honestly you have no right to tell me I’m doing it wrong. We are in a society that treats others so harshly when they tend to opt for a different route. Does that make it bad? No… not at all. Everyone is different and everyone opts to do it their own way. I mean, if it doesn’t hurt the baby/child/relationship then what’s the big deal.
YES I stopped breastfeeding at 3.5 months… SO WHAT?! Yes, I let my son watch Television… SO WHAT?! There isn’t one way better than the other and I’m fed up of people comparing each other. Same goes for SAHM and Working Moms. Being a mom, I know parenting is tough and being a SAHM is a full time job. One I personally couldn’t do. I need to work and do my thing because it means I can live a life that includes other things that baby talk, potty training and elmo… but yes that also means I ship my son to daycare 50 hours a week.
Stop comparing your situation to other moms. Stop making them feel like they aren’t a good mother because of their choices. Their choices belong to them.
My name is Kelly, I am a working mom but my situation makes me a better mom then the stay at home version of me. If you want to compare situation, compare with yourself. That’s the only comparison you should be allowed to do. Rant over.
Nina
January 30, 2012 at 15:54 (480 days ago)Amen to that!!
Stephanie @ This Casita
January 30, 2012 at 16:24 (480 days ago)I second that AMEN! To each their own – I have always said this and always will! What works for me, works for me and what works for you, works for you.
Brooke
January 30, 2012 at 16:38 (480 days ago)I’ll third that “Amen!” I honestly have no clue why mothers seem to want to belittle each other so much. I have a great friend who has a son the same age as my daughter, and while I see some things she does that I don’t necessarily agree with, I don’t think that makes her a “worse” mom than I am. What she does works for her, just like what I do works for me. And it’s nice to see someone do things differently, so I can learn, try it out, compare, and then see if it works for me. Parenting doesn’t have to be a “one size fits all” bubble! Being different is not only okay, it should be encouraged. Because goodness knows some of the methods I use aren’t the best for me, and it’s nice to see what else is out there sometimes!
lindsay
February 7, 2012 at 13:28 (472 days ago)Another amen! I love that you compare your choice to yourself making another choice. i.e. Working Mom Kelly > SAHM Kelly. That’s brilliant! and kind of just what I needed to hear.