Tired of Swimming

When it comes to most things parenting, and even food, these days I don't swim in the mainstream. In fact, more often then not I find myself swimming against the current. And I'm tired. I understand that I have different opinions on a lot of things, but having to constantly explain and justify my parenting choices has begun to wear on me. I used to want to open the eyes of everyone I talked too, but now, more often than not, I find I prefer to avoid such topics all together. 

I can only listen to "wow, a home birth? You're crazy!" so many more times before I'm going to crack and smack some poor girl in the face for what she thought to be a humorous comment with a hint of awe.
Does everyone really need to tell me how "they could never do that," or "I just couldn't ever put up with that" every single time I mention cloth diapers or co-sleeping? Sure, most the time it's meant as a sort of compliment, but when you hear it as often as I do, it all starts to sound like  "you're just to darn weird and out there for me to take any thing you say seriously."

Believe me, I understand that there is no one right or wrong way to raise a child, just as no two children are exactly a like. But despite this knowledge, just once, I'd like to be able to casually mention something from my life of motherhood without feeling like I need to launch into a defense for how I do things at my house and how their really is lots of research that supports delayed vaccination, and "extended" breastfeeding.

Oh breastfeeding...I don't even want to get started on that one.

I'm sure I'm not the only mother that feels this way. Even parents that do swim mostly in the mainstream can get worn down sometimes. Motherhood, like swimming, will tire you out no matter how you do it. So why can't we all make things easier on each other and accept each other's choices with the knowledge that we've all taken a personal journey to where we are as mothers/fathers and that the journey continues to go on.

I'm not a crunchy mom because I woke up one morning and decided I wanted to shock the world with my antics. I'm the mother that I am because I love my daughter with all my heart and am trying desperately to keep as both afloat by doing what I hope, and sometimes know, to be best for my dear sweet Tali girl and me.

So please, if you're paddling down stream, could you try and keep your oars from whacking me in the head? :P