I am not a crunchy mom, nor am I completely silky. I consider myself to be somewhat of a hybrid. I use disposable diapers. I've never used formula. I don't co-sleep. I make all of Caleb's baby food. I opted for an epidural when I gave birth to him. We did modified CIO. I love babywearing. I also enjoy pushing him in the stroller or having him ride in the shopping cart (as does he). I breastfeed Caleb throughout the day, but at night he always gets a bottle. We have made these choices because they are the best for our family.
There is a very unfortunate divide between the crunchy and the silky, and in some cases, the categories argue amongst themselves. We're all mommas here. We're all making the best decisions for our children and our families as we see fit. Each and every parent reserves the right to make the best decision that applies to their specific circumstance. Do I agree with every decision another parent makes? No. Do I respect that they are making very loving decisions and caring for their infant to the best of their ability? Absolutely! Just because I might not do something the same way another mom would doesn't make me right and her wrong, or vice versa. The thing about raising children is that in most cases, there is no clear, conclusive "right" answer. The only time I truly take issue with how someone cares for their baby is when his or her health is endangered. Other than that, the choice someone makes about how their baby is produced, fed, carried, and cleaned is none of my business. The decisions we make do not make us superior to one another.
The bottom line is that we're all mothers, we all love our babies, and we all want what we believe is best for them. We should be able to share our methods and approaches to childrearing without fear of being raked over the coals. Let's set aside our respective textures and support one another, shall we?
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