After 16 months of being a mom, I've realized that some moms can be mean, especially online. With so many parenting choices to be made, there are many debates and disagreements. Here's a sampling of what I've encountered so far:
- Working mom vs. stay at home mom vs. work at home mom
- Daycare center vs. home daycare vs. nanny vs. family member
- Breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding vs. a combination
- Disposable diapers vs. cloth diapers vs. elimination communication
- Crib vs. family bed
- Vaccination vs. no vaccination vs. delayed vaccination
- Public school vs. private school vs. homeschooling vs. unschooling
- Helicopter parenting vs. free-range kids
Discussions on these topics can get pretty heated. I personally put a lot of thought into some of my choices (breastfeeding), turned to others as survival strategies (family bed) and had no choice in others (I have to work). Plus I think most of us may see ourselves on both sides of the argument, or somewhere in the middle, throughout our lifetimes as parents.
Are these hot topics because moms feel passionate about their parenting choices or do they feel insecure? Or are some moms just plain old mean? I've often heard that motherhood is both the toughest and most rewarding job in the world. Shouldn't we all be supportive and cheer each other on? Aren't our different choices what make us interesting?
