Parents vs. Parents

Homeschooling is the responsible Christian choice.

Formula is poison and you don't love your baby if you feed them that garbage.

Baby Wise is evil.

If you let your twelve year-old daughter wear lip gloss and mascara, she'll be sneaking out for clandestine meetings by the time she's thirteen.

Co-sleeping with baby is reserved for hippies and couples with intimacy issues.

Letting your high schooler date will lead directly to the condom aisle in the store.

If you value your child's soul, you won't let them watch t.v.

Sixteen year-olds aren't mature enough to drive.

Don't ever let grown kids move back home.

Working outside the home will destroy your kid's childhood, so set aside a therapy piggy bank now.

Too many of us are either condescendingly nodding our heads in agreement or donning boxing gloves (or wondering where the heck I'm running with this). Of course, it's fine to have opinions on parenting methods and beliefs. But it sure seems to me we have forgotten that we're all in the same boat here. We're trying to do right by our kids and we only get one shot at it. Instead of rowing in unison, we're slashing lifeboats and tossing empty life vests overboard willy-nilly. It's ridiculously easy to get caught up in how So-and-So parents, or what that mom did in the grocery store. For every moment I spend criticizing another's parenting, I'm missing out on my own parenting. I've written a blank check to Time, and she is unrelentingly cashing in on every single second I have with my children.

I've had it up to here with the parenting wars.* Parenting should not be a cutthroat business. We need each other. It's not necessary to see eye to eye, nor give each other the stink eye. Instead of silently (or not so silently) judging the frazzled mama in the frozen food aisle, we need to give her the mama nod. I've got your back, dear mom. I'm linking arms with you and we're going to love these rascals if it's the last thing we do. We're in this parenting thing together. I refuse to condemn you over the snippet I've seen. I refuse to let my pride overshadow love. Now. Let's do this! 

Instead of spending my limited time assessing someone else's parenting, I'm going to parent like there's no tomorrow; For it is surely not guaranteed.


Stumbling Through Grace,
Cynthia



*This cliché doesn't translate well over the internet...You'll just have to envision my hand raised above my noggin.