How Are You Different?

There are several ways in which I differ from most of the moms I know. I would like to create a separate blog for some of those issues, and I wanted to introduce a little bit more about myself here.

I am one of "those" mothers.

* I do not vaccinate my children.
(disclaimer, since my blog tends to focus on my daughter with Aspergers. The decision was not based on fear concerning MMR and autism)
* I breastfeed my children until they choose to wean.
* I believe the best and safest place for my baby to sleep is next to me in my bed.
* I believe the best and safest place for me to give birth is at home.
* I did not and would not circumcise my son(s).
* I believe the best place to educate my children is at home.
(another disclaimer: Ella is in public school. I do not think it is the best place to educate her, but it works for us right now)



I used to be a Mary Kay lady. I drive a minivan with cute little stick people stickers on the back. You will mostly find me dressed in flats, capri pants, dressy t-shirts from Target, wearing jewelry and makeup.

But you'd never know looking at me that I was a hippiechick on the inside. I blend in well. I don't seek to blend in, it has just happened that way.

I socialize in person primarily with parents in the mainstream. I've never been on the receiving end of any spoken judgment about my choices, and I've not verbally dished out any judgment onto mothers who parent differently than I do. It may be that I just live in a very tolerant pocket of the universe, but I am "free to be me" and do not have to fear the moms at the park or at church making comments about how weird I am for nursing until past age 2, or having homebirths, or homeschooling my children. I have sought to make friends with other local moms who share my parenting ideals, but have very often found that they have a much more "us vs. them" idea about things, and do not have any friends who parent differently than they do. I was never very adept at making my own style, so I never have dressed the part of the hippy. I don't know how. So I definitely appear to be a mainstream suburban mom in that aspect.

In the next several posts, I will take each of those starred statements and blog about them and why I came to those decisions.

They are, of course, my opinion, and my decision, and do not really affect other people. So while you are welcome to comment about how you believe differently, I can assure you that I have been reading and researching about these topics for the last 10 years and have come to my own educated decision about them. Like I said, I am free to be me.