and I’m saying this as someone whose kids ARE vaccinated. I support all parents educating themselves about vaccines, and I support a parent’s right to choose not to vaccinate their children.

That said, my kids are selectively vaccinated, and we followed the Dr. Sears delayed schedule with my oldest son. 

There are some vaccines I personally feel are necessary to give my kids. (My mom was in the last wave of polio victims prior to the vaccine being developed. She got polio at 9 months old and suffered twisted and deformed legs and spine from it, and one of her cousins died in an iron lung from it. No way anyone in our family doesn’t take that vaccine.)

So we spent all of yesterday with hubs’ family, which means four little boys tumbling around like maniacs outside at their Grandma’s farm all day. Although we did go see Iron Man in the afternoon, and then the guys all had a poker game while I got my boys and their cousins settled down for the night.

My mother in law insisted on keeping Mouse while we went to the movies, then of course was exhausted when we got back and had a list of comments and criticism a mile long concerning how we raise him, because in her mind he doesn’t need any therapy and we just need to “be firm” and “learn to spank.” (Her and my sister-in-law’s versions of spanking includes wooden spoons and belts, which to me is beating a child and not even spanking.)

Because she knows so much more than all his interventionists and therapists who have a file full of his developmental and speech delays @_@

She keeps commenting on his “sucking his thumb” and how we need to “pepper it”. Ugh. He doesn’t suck his thumb - he bites it. He also chews his fingers, toys, clothing, and anything he can darn well fit in his mouth. This is why I have special teethers and nursing necklaces for him to chew as well, because he is constantly searching for oral stimulation. There is something he feels he needs, just like a smaller infant does, and I’m not about to put Tabasco sauce on everything or hit my child for putting things in his mouth.

It’s so frustrating when we are seeing huge progress in his speech and behavior now that he has been in speech and physical therapy for over a month and all my husband’s family seems to focus on is his “bad” behavior when he can’t act or talk the way they expect a nearly three year old to do.

Don’t even ask what her reaction would be if she knew he wasn’t weaned yet :P

Of course he was an angel all day today at church and visiting my mom’s nursing home, and our whole family is suddenly the recipients of loads of spontaneous hugs and kisses.  Earlier when he did something clever and I said, “Good boy!”, he turned around and hugged me and said, “Good momma!” for the first time.  So nice to have him choosing to be physically affectionate and using some two word sentences now.

I will say, after seeing how my husband’s family reacts to Mouse’s needs and issues, I feel so, so blessed to have had parents who were always just very accepting of me and my differences due to being autistic. I’m also very glad that if something were to happen to me and my husband, we’ve made it clear we want my sister to raise the boys, and not any of my in-laws :(

petitedeath:

‎”I wonder if modern parenting focuses on too much “stuff” and not enough touch, and if modern baby-care practices are a trade-off of increased convenience for increased risk. It may be considered politically incorrect to speculate on this kind of life-or-death role for a mother; yet for a few infants it may be physiologically correct.”

And just a reminder that a parent can do everything “right” and still lose a child to SIDS. Children die of SIDS who were vaccinated and who weren’t vaccinated, who were breastfed and who were formula fed, who coslept and crib slept. All parents have to sleep sometimes so we can’t have a 24 hour guard over our children to see if they are breathing.

Because the real causes of SIDS still is not known and it can happen to any baby or toddler, even those with attached and responsive parents :(

parachutesx:

Like this new page. It’s mainly against routine infant circumcision, but anyone can like it. There will be tons of parenting debates/other debates, photos, and more. If you are a mom can get past the heavy amount of anti-circ stuff, we can get some interesting debates going!…

contagiouscognations:

Awesome read. 

So I’ve been thinking about something the past few days…

The early childhood interventionist who came to test Mouse this week also brought along a huge stack of paperwork on a clipboard, and most of them were very detailed questions that she recorded my responses to at length. Everything from my pregnancy complications to how many days early he was and how long he was in the NICU, to his sleeping and eating habits.

The one thing she never asked was if he was breastfed, and if so, how long.

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pregnomancy:

trying-my-bestest:

I actually get this all the time! People tell me hes that happiest baby they’ve ever seen but that practically every aspect of my parenting is wrong.

Yup.

Too true. The same people who gush on and on about how happy your kids are seem to be the first to suggest all the things you should do differently @_@

I like how simple this message and image are.

attachmentparenting101:

Along with the obvious requirements, such as love, time, and devotion…  A parent must also do the following:

Trust your instincts!

Don’t let another mom, a parent, a friend, or a stranger tell you that you are doing something wrong.  Be confident in your ways and you child will appreciate you for it.  There’s a reason you are doing what you’re doing, even if you don’t know why and it just feels right.  You know what your doing.  Believe in yourself!

Why is it every time I read a blog or article that mentions cosleeping, someone ALWAYS comments something to the effect of “but where do you have sex?”

I mean are their sex lives seriously so boring that they can’t conceive of having sex anywhere except on the bed? Really??