I am not mom enough…
May 13, 2012 by lorettelavine | Edit
In fact, after the TIME article this week… I am not sure that I want to be mom enough!
These are my reasons why I do not consider myself, “mom enough”!
- I did not breast feed either one of my children…yes there was a medical reason and it was 30 years ago, but so what?
- I did not co-sleep more than one month when my daughters were infants…we did “co-sleep” during thunderstorms when they were older.
- I did not wear my children around the house in a baby sling in fact I did not even know what a baby sling was at that time…. 1980′s
- I fed my children Beechnut baby food and Gerber baby food…I did not make my own until they were toddlers.
- I never heard of Dr. Sears…I had a book by Dr. Spock, which I did not read…I received a Growth and Development newsletter each month in the mail.
- I did not listen to my mother or my other relatives who tried to give advice because I knew enough and had friends around me that had infants and we figured it out together…well sort of…
I could go on… but after my kids’ meager beginnings it probably doesn’t matter what else I DID DO as they grew into adulthood.
However, I am happy to report.
- They still talk to me and me to them.
- We celebrate holidays together although it is nothing like the “Gathering“(Christmas with Ed Asner)…
- We argue…we bicker…we hug and kiss…for the most part we respect each other.
And another thing,
- I do not carry around guilt…
- I realize that I did the best I could with what I knew and had to give at the time.
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I agree!
Thanks for reading Rita. This has been such a “hot” topic the past week!
I have a really hard time with extremist views, especially in parenting.
The Time cover said it all, almost a political stance.
Breast fed babies (for 6 mo) have less medical problems later in life, and can benefit from the colostrum early on, preventing youngsters from getting sicknesses. If a mom can do it, feels comfortable, etc. then great, but preschoolers………? I don’t think it is about the children then.
Honestly, this is all very truthful and real…thank you for sharing. I just don’t understand all the “extreme parenting” these days. I’m 42, mother of a one-year old and conceived naturally at 41 because (thank God) I was healthy.
And, to think I turned out okay even though my mom stopped breast feeding after just a few months and fed me raw hot dogs out by the pool! Ah, 1969. I drank cows milk and spaghetti-o’s! And, even so, I consider my mom perfect and wonderful to this day…
Thank you for reading and for your comment… I know, it is a wonder that we all survived our parents’ parenting skills!