To think that parenting is a minefield?

[poshsinglemum]

Everyone has such strong and opposing views on it. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, to do unconditional parenting or supernanny no-nonsense stuff.

I am sure that I have written about this before but the whole parenting scene is very difficult to navigate. That's even before we talk about coffee mornings etc.

Agreed. And it gets more and more like trying to juggle jelly and knit fog the older they get.

(Knackered Mum/Step-Mum of three middle teens hanging onto end of rope by skin of teeth here)

YADNBU it is a complete miniefield!

YANBU, and no doubt that's the reason for a lot of the bunfights on here. There are a lot of decisions that parents have to make, often with different evidence backing up either side, and when you add in persoaal issues, people can be quite defensive about which path they take/have taken.

*personal, even.

YANBU and it gets harder every year that goes by. I am amazed that anyone is qualified to have a baby at all these days. Rely on your instinct and do what feels right for you. Sod the others. So long as your baby is loved, warm, clean, fed, and taught how to recognise good from evil, the rest will take care of itself.

It does seem to be.

Also I've seen some toxic comments made by people here about their friends children or thier DC's school friends which truly shocked me. They're only children!

There was a thread on here a few months ago where a poster, who was a mum herself, was saying she found it extremely irritating for people to say how cute their babies are in front of her. FFS!

It's got me a little worried that if i ever have a baby (fertility issues!) everyone will secretly call me a bad mum behind my back and my friends will hate my baby.

I never realised how much of a minefield parenting was till a friend had her DS one week before mine...while I muddled along doing my best, she was right in my ear seeing who walked first,who slept best, who has the smarter baby..I never knew that child-rearing was competitive!!!!It was exhausting until finally I just stopped engaging her..Now I see raising my DS for what it is..our business!!!!

But the brilliant thing is that the baby can't remember all those early day mistakes or bits that didn't work out as you planned - like the birth and breastfeeding. Fortunately they grow up to remember, hugs, love, help with homework, their favourite dinner, seeing you after the first school trip away, seeing you on the touchline, you trying to hide a tear at the first prize giving or nativity play. We all do it differently but only the very odd do it for anything other than love.