Thursday, June 14, 2012

What kind of mom are you

Having a child has been by far my greatest achievement in life. I know, so cliche but so true. It has also been a journey of self doubt more than any other I have ever been on. From pregnancy to having a baby, I have realized that I started questioning my choices more because of what other people did or said. I lost my confidence in a way. I have surely judged other mother's in the past for what I thought were bad decisions, I now realize how silly and totally pointless it was. I don't judge other parents anymore period (unless of course you kill or sexually abuse your child then we have a problem ;))

Well, I have owned my choices and I am all about "do what's best for your child and your family."
Someone out there will always disagree with a choice you make (during pregnancy, with a baby, with a toddler) but don't worry about it. All I am saying is make the choices that are best for you and your family and do not feel bad about it.

That being said, here are some of the stuff I have received criticism about and I am so over being guilty:

  - I use disposable diapers and I love it.  I honestly never even considered using cloth diapers. I don't regret my decision. Disposable diapers are a great choice for me and my family :).

 - My son is almost 2 and I don't even own a potty, what the heck, maybe I'll wait until he is old enough to sit on the regular potty. Oh and I really don't mind having 2 kids in diapers heck even 3 kids in diapers would be fine by me :).

 - I bought good old Gerber food for my baby and never looked back. Never made my own food nor did I use anything organic. I don't feel guilty.

 - I let my son eat candy, cookies, chips, and all sort of junk food. A little bit of junk food is not a bad choice plus this kid barely eats so I'll take it where I can.

 - I don't use a Shopping Cart or a High Chair Cover, let him build his immune system.

 - I breastfed my son and he never had formula but I also cried my eyes out the first 3 months because breastfeeding was freaking hard. Formula would have been just fine. So with all my other babies, I will try my best but I would not make it a ride or die situation. Yep formula is not poison and I will definitely give it to my kid for my own sanity

 - I am a working mom and I don't feel guilty about it, ok maybe a little but I am not willing to quit my job and give up on all the nice things that we can afford because I work. My son goes to daycare and he is a well rounded little boy. I realize that some stranger spends more time with my son than I do, oh well, so is life. Works for my family

 - My son still sleeps in our bed and has been since he was about 6 months old. I co-sleep and I don't feel guilty about it, I actually enjoy it.

 - I let my son watch cartoons so that he can give me a break during car rides. He is a huge fan of Thomas the tank engine. Not feeling guilty.

 - My son doesn't know how to count or say the alphabet and I really don't push the issue or care for that matter. He is not even 2 yet. All I do with him is play, play and more play. He'll sure know all those things by the time he goes to kindergarten.

I'm sure there are a plethora of other things we do in our household that aren't exactly like everyone else or might be frowned upon, but the choices we make are the right ones for our family. Don't let anyone judge you or make you question your decisions, you are the best advocate for your children and family.

I get to be the mom to my happy little boy  and can't wait for my 2nd boy to be here so I can love on him too :). We are a much happier family because of the choices that we make.





12 comments:

  1. I like the way you parent...let your baby be a baby, he only gets one childhood and he is just a baby. So what if he eats candy, it builds his immune system...and being a working mom is great. It will show him later on that the woman he marries should be hardworking and shouldn't let the pressures of life get at her.

    Everyone has their own opinions about parenting but all in all, it is all about doing the best you can for your child. Be the best parent you can be and do what's best for your child and you will have no regrets!

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    1. Thanks girl, this is exactly what I am thinking, I just try my best everyday.

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  2. Another boy woo-hoo! I hear ya loud and clear! I was a victim of people telling me what to do. They thought that I didn't know any better. I'm glad that you're sticking to your convictions. Some thought I was crazy for breastfeeding in the first place. I'm still nursing and Princess is almost 2. Like you, I never tried formula. I'm so happy I stuck with my gut. I am a little bit of a germaphobe. I can't lie. I use the covers for the shopping cart and I wipe everything down. hehe. I know I'm a bit insane. but, that's ok. People won't always agree with my parenting and I don't give a crap. Great post! It's ok to play T-man will learn his numbers and alphabets, and more.

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    1. I love that you are still nursing princess. More power to you. Laughing at you being a germaphobe :)

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  3. Beautiful post. I so understand this. I dislike when other's make us feel bad about the decisions we make as parents. It's all about what we feel is best for our family and as long as everyone is happy it's fine.

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    1. Keya - that's exactly what I say, whatever feels best for me and my family

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  4. I agree on doing what works for your family! People love to give me the side-eye (including Abby's pediatrician) when I tell them that Abby co-sleeps with us. For my sanity it's so much easier to have her there to nurse when she wakes up in the middle of the night. Why does American culture put such emphasis on transitioning infants to their own room? For centuries parents co-slept with their children and the human race survived. Anyway power to you for doing your own thing without regrets!

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    1. Amy - ti's totally an American thing, they don't like the whole co-sleeping thing. Do your thing tho, if you are both sleeping well then eh, you do your thing

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  5. one question - if the baby co sleeps...how did you and hubby manage to conceive baby 2? maybe the question is TMI lol. But just wondering if co-sleeping and mummy/daddy happy time can go together?

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    1. Clearly co-sleeping didn't affect our private time, we got pregnant twice while doing it. We do have to work around that but it's doable and not really an issue. Thanks for stopping by btw.

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  6. i don't know what kind of mom i want to be BUT i do want to be a good one. I think at the end of the day you do your best and hope God does the rest..there are too many what ifs we allow ourselves to go there...it sounds like you are a great mom to me!!! There are many that are not doing such a great job...i work in child welfare!!

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    1. Thanks Mrs. Pancakes. I think you have the right attitude about motherhood, being a good mom is the most important.

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