Are You a Natural or Un-natural Mom? It Doesn’t Matter!
Posted by: Christina / Category: UncategorizedI discovered this blog post at Natural Moms Talk Radio when someone twitted about it and I’m SO glad I clicked on the link, even though I am very much an UN-natural mom. In certain online forums this seems to be the new debate: are you a natural mom who homeschools or do you eat all that unhealthy animal fat and send your kids to the lousy public schools?
Why does there have to be any debate, or “sides,” to this discussion at all? If I choose not to eat 100% organic or hate the idea of shopping at garage sales, why should that bother a natural mom? It doesn’t bother me that you want to homeschool your kids…until you try to pass judgement on how bad the public schools are without knowing where I live.
Natural moms and un-natural moms don’t need to be so defensive about their lifestyle choices. As Carrie said, we can all learn new things from one another and so long as our children are happy and healthy, what does it matter how we live?
April 24th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Thanks for the mention Christina
April 27th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I’m not sure why people have to get defensive…on either side of the debate. Just because someone doesn’t live the same lifestyle as you doesn’t mean that person is putting your way down…you know?
I’ve seen it on both sides of the natural/unnatural fence.
May 10th, 2008 at 12:20 am
I might be on the un-natural side. I use disposable diapers, ack!
May 12th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Participating in the Chrysanthemom’s Scavenger hunt! I found the image on this posting!
I plan on homeschooling but I don’t believe anyone should judge either way, its all about choice and what you think is best for your children!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Scavenger hunt – Found it!
Fully believe that what is right for one family’s situation may not work for another. All kids are different and all parents are different, so there certainly is no blanket way to do it. I think it is more important that you provide for your children in the absolutely best way you can for your current situation. Love is what matters in the end, right?
May 12th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I agree with you.
Also participating in the Scavenger Hunt.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Found the image!! What a great idea!! Visit my blog – http://mommymeryl.blogspot.com
May 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I saw your high-five photo and loved it!!!
Just dropping a comment for the scavenger hunt, please drop by my blog any time!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
It’s so true. The natural/un-natural mom seems to be the latest great debate/mommy war (after the sahm/wahm/whom mommy war). It’s really silly — as mothers we should be uniting in motherhood regardless of how we choose to parent or handle motherhood. I’m on the natural end, myself, but I try not to cast judgment on other’s parenting sytles (and admittedly, it can be hard, since it’s human nature). But the big question is: are the kids safe and happy. Are the parents and is the family happy? I think if the answer is yes to any of those, then ultimately, what does it matter if it’s working for you/your family and the kids aren’t in peril. Okay…getting off of my soapbox now to say: great post and I found the image in Crystal’s MommyFest scavenger hunt.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Found the graphic for the scavenger hunt. Thanks
May 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Here for the Chrysanthemom’s Scavenger hunt, but what a great topic. I think any side will always fight. This just goes hand in hand with stay at home moms vs. working moms and breastfed vs bottle fed. Sad that all us moms can’t always get along
May 12th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Wow, I’ve never heard it called that before. From another perspective when you have to be a working mom public schools are what you get and then you’re fighting them about the menu. Although I have to admit, the high school down here did ban pop and candy vending machines.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I found the pink flower!
I am glad I did..this is a great topic to discuss!
May 12th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
yay! I found the pretty pink graphic for the scavenger hunt!!!
Good blog post.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Whoo-hoo! Found the image for the scavenger hunt! Now I just need to find 6 more…
Please come visit me at my blog. It can be found at http://weblog.heatherquarnstrom.com.
Have a great day!
~ Heather
May 12th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
found the image for the hunt.
I do the most natural things I am comfortable with and I never judge other mothers who are more or less natural or get involved in those debates about it.
May 12th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Thats why I try to stay away from the crazy groups on Cafemom. They try to tell you how to raise your children. I agree with you, I think you should raise your kids to the best of your knowledge!
I am participating in the scavenger hunt as well!
May 12th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I have a sister in law who at 6 months pregnant was going to get a job. After I listened to her, I realized she was only getting the job for the insurance and I asked her if she was quitting work after the baby was born. She said “I AM GOING TO BE THERE FOR MY CHILD!!!”. I was a working mom by choice. I enjoyed my work and my children. I had the best of both worlds for me. After a few years, she and my brother switched places and he’s now the stay at home dad. I didn’t care who did what or if they both worked. I think it’s easy to judge and harder to let it go sometimes and let people make their own decisions.
I’m here for the scavenger hunt
May 12th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
I hate labels, period. I certainly try my hardest not to be (or appear) judgmental about any subject, especially how one educates her children.
Found you via the blog scavenger hunt! Image in this post…. Thank you!
Megret
meg.wilson@gmail.com
May 12th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I think I’m somewhere in between? Thanks for the flower; I’m here for the hunt.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Found the flower!!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I guess I’m artificial (as in “un-natural”. I use disposable diapers (for way more years than I care to admit!). I not only send my kids to public school, I (ack!) work full time.
P.S. I found the flower.
May 12th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I guess as long as your kids grow up to be kind and successful people, then any kind of mom did well
Found the flower image too!
May 13th, 2008 at 12:06 am
I know, it is silly to argue about such things! I feel very strongly about breastfeeding for instance. I firmly believe it is the best thing to do for your child. Catch 22 though for me when it came time for me to do it for my own children, I couldn’t do it! I tried and tried and stressed myself out to the max about it. When I hear people criticising other mom’s for not doing it, I bristle because how do they know the circumstance?
BTW, I found your scavanger hunt graphic.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:19 am
I just had to comment, lol. I was the same way. I was, and still am, a strong believer in breastfeeding! And yet, my son has allergies and had to be taken off the breast at 2 months (it’s rare, but it is more common then we think). And then my third child, I went completely dry overnight at 3 months and NOTHING would fix it:( So I don’t criticize because there is often more to it then you know.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Woohoo found the image for the hunt!
May 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Hi there! I’m here for the scavenger hunt! Nice to meet you
May 14th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Great site! Ha! I found Scavenger Hunt image #3! Yippee!
dbstout[at]juno[dot]com
May 14th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I am not a natural mom but I do listen to Carrie’s podcast – there is a lot of awesome info she shares and I always learn something new.
I’m popping in for the Scavenger hunt!
May 15th, 2008 at 8:16 am
I guess I’m a mix. We homeschool yet We’re not totally organic or natural. I’d love to go completely organic but that’s just not possible right now and we do eat meat. However, I don’t and would never judge someone that is not doing what I do. As long as the parents are doing the best they can that’s all that matters.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Chrysanthemom’s Scavenger hunt