Sunday, March 27, 2011

Parenting and what really matters

As we raise our children, we have to ALWAYS look at what is best for them. Birth won't affect them unless they end up brain damaged or dead. That's right, a "peaceful gentle birth" won't give you a serene and happy child. Leaving a kid intact won't do anything but leave some skin on their penis. It won't affect their personality at all. When our kids are sitting in kindergarten, you won't be able to tell who was breastfed, intact, co-slept, waterbirthed, etc. There truly is no difference.

Now, looking at school aged children, you can tell what kind of parents they have. Are the parents even involved? Are they shown love? Are they yelled at and hit all the time? You can tell a lot of the child's home life by watching a child. Many children across this world are abused and neglected by their parents. Children who go home from school that are yelled at, cussed at, and beaten- meant to feel like they don't matter at all. Children who are abandoned by a parent because the parent didn't want the child. Children who are used to hurt another parents because that parent angered the other with no regard to how this is harming the child involved. Real abuse happens all the time.

Real parenting is what happens as our children grow. It is how we treat them. It's how we show them we love them. It's in the hugs, kisses, and "just because" cuddles. It's in the encouragement we give our children. It's in the lessons we teach them as they get older. Guess what?? Even moms who have breastfed, left their son intact, co-slept, natural birthed, etc have abused and do abuse their children daily. So, obviously these don't make you an exceptional parent. They make you a parent just like that mom who makes more mainstream choices. We are all on this hamster wheel together, not separately.

If we spend our time talking about stupid things such as feeding, birthing, circing, vaxing,or sleeping choices, what about the children who are really being harmed out there?? Are we willing to drop the trivial bullshit and help these small members of society? What is more important here?? Me, I'm tired of seeing what is going on around me. I'm done and fed up with these parents. Where does your focus lie? Can you lie your beliefs down and take up the real issues of abuse/neglect surrounding us??

3 comments:

lifelong sunshine said...

I agree with you that it really does come down to the day-to-day parenting decisions we make and how we treat our children that make the most impact on their lives. Though I do feel that some of those other decisions (at least in my case) are an extension of how I feel about my children--i.e. because I love them and want to treat them with the respect that is due any human being, I won't make the decision to hurt them unnecessarily, by having my son circumsized, for example.
That said, everyone has to make their own decisions regarding these kinds of issues and live with the consequences of them.
Great post! :)

Soggy Mom said...

I too am beginning to see the light of a post-crunchy world...

~Mary Lennox~ said...

You are so right!

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