So the new craze going around at the moment seems to be this ‘crunchy mumma’ thing (which I always thought was ‘attachment parenting’ until a friend of mine told me otherwise… Still don’t understand the term crunchy either?)
Anyway.
I’m not understanding why people feel the need to label their parenting? I had always thought (and went with) what ever works best for you and your baby, do it.
If breastfeeding works out well for you then great! If for some reason you are unable or it doesn’t suit your lifestyle so you end up formula feeding, no worries.
Maybe your baby has always been great at self settling or maybe you need to feed/rock your baby to sleep?
You might love to co-sleep with your child for many reasons… or you might like the space at night and pop them in their own room.
Why must it be that by doing any of these things means you have been boxed into some sort of ‘parenting style’ or labeled in some way??
We have been put into the ‘natural parenting’ or ‘crunchy granola’ style simply because I’m feeding my baby and she’s over 1, we co-sleep (because my little girl is a horrible sleeper so this is the only way I can get any winks at night), I’m a ‘baby wearer’ as prams are just annoying and Ivy hates them, etc. etc. etc. So what?
But I DO immunise my child, I DID NOT eat my placenta, I’m happy to give Ivy panadol when she is sick or in pain, and I am very much planning on sending my children to school because homeschooling would send me insane… So now what? What kind of parent am I?
All these parenting styles have started making a lot of parents feel like crap and I’m over it! I was following a page on facebook that was all about natural parenting (which I have now unfollowed) and half of their posts made me feel like a failure of a parent just because I didn’t do everything the ‘natural way’. Even though what I was doing felt natural, right and good to me.
And on the flip side, you can be made to feel like a nutter for continuing to breastfeed past 12 months or for co-sleeping with your child… “you obviously don’t have a sex life” and “you’ll never get your bed back” were a few of the things said to me because we do this… Ping off! I’m doing what I want and what’s best for us.
Sometimes I feel like some of these parents have simply opened up a book, taken down all the points and are following it all to a tee weather it works or not just so they can be like “Oh yeah, I’m a natural parent. OMG you feed your child formula? Do you REALIZE they’re not getting the best start to life? I still breast feed my 20 year old and they’re studying environmental law.”
OR
“You immunise your children? Did you know that they now have a higher chance of being an intravenous drug user?!”
Seriously??
Anyway, your child was born an individual so why box your parenting? Just doesn’t make sense.
I know this post might possibly ruffle a few feathers but please know my heart and that I am being a tad sarcastic (if you couldn’t tell). I just don’t see why we have to make parenting harder on each other when it’s pretty hard already and we can be hard enough on ourselves without others making us feel like crappy parents too.
A good friend of mine recently spoke about this very topic in her daily vlog on youtube after her and I had been talking about it that day. Check it out. She makes some great points!
Love you all xx
P.S. This is ACTUALLY what crunchy granola is… looks yum
A Mother's Open Book 
I don’t think that people should label different styles of parenting. It just seeks to divide us. I think it should all just be called “parenting” because that’s all it really is.
So true! 🙂
I love this post and totally agree with you. I’m glad my boys were babies before the internet intervened in such a big way. There were books but you could choose not to read them. Now, it seems like you’re a neglectful parent if you don’t belong to a million Facebook groups and buy all the right eBooks. People are different, children are different, you have to find your own path and what works for you. I can’t even parent the children I have the same way because they’re all so different so why would another parent think the only way I should parent is their way?
I completely agree! I have no problems with the real ‘natural parents’ out there that have a child who needs and wants a very natural up bringing but it is not always going to work. I have a good friend who has two children who are so so very different and she knows all too well how different your parenting style can and might need to change from child to child. I just cannot understand the need to box your parenting into a style… seems too stressful and unnecessary to me!
I have actually just edited my post to include my friend’s vlog (who I just mentioned in my other comment) where she talks about this very topic after her and I had been talking about it that day. She has a very similar view to me and makes some good points if you’re interested 🙂
Thanks! I’ll check it out. 🙂