My Parenting Decisions: Introduction

Our two beautiful children, Oliver Sebastian and Wynter Olivia.

A lot of parenting involves figuring out what you like and don't like; what you agree with and what you don't agree with; what works for you, your family, and your kids, and what doesn't.  There is so much information out there, and so many gadgets and toys, and as parents we have to sift through all of that and find what is right for us.  On top of that we've also all got opinions based on what we believe, what worked or works for us, and what our own parents did and all of us parents like to share our opinions with each other, so we've all got to sift through those too.

For me, at the beginning, I took the opinions and beliefs of one friend as though they were the best, the only way to do it right.  I, of course, found lots of information that supported her views, and I looked at everything with my mind already so focused that anything that didn't fit was wrong and ridiculous.  Now I'm not saying that I've come to believe everything she told me or recommended was wrong or just not for me, some of it was.  Some of it was right for us at the beginning, but not anymore, and some of it I have simply decided I don't agree with period.  As parents we all try to do our best, we often make mistakes, or change our minds about what is best and what is not, and as our life and circumstances change we have to change too.

Our daughter, Wynter, is 3 1/2 months old.  Oliver, our son, is 23 months old.  Many of the parenting decisions we made when Oliver was an infant are not the same as the ones we are making with Wynter.  Oliver was formula fed, Wynter is breastfed.  Oliver slept in a crib, Wynter sleeps in our bed.  I barely knew anything about baby carriers with Oliver, but with Wynter I use a Moby Wrap fairly often and plan on buying a Babyhawk Oh Snap! since the Moby isn't the quickest thing in the world to use.  So many of the decisions we're making this time are opposites of the decisions we'd made previously.  And many of the decisions we're making as Oliver grows older regarding food, play, TV, etc. are different than what we thought we would do.  One of the biggest things I'm learning is that you have to be open to change.  Flexibility as a parent is absolutely necessary.

Like I said at the beginning, us parents like to share our opinions with everyone else, me included.  That's why I'm starting a series of posts about my own parenting decisions.  I want to share where we started, what has changed, and why it has changed, and finally talk about where we are now and our ideas for the future.  However, I want you to read this with an open mind, especially if you are a new mother, or mother-to-be.  The things I've hated, may actually work for you; the things I've loved, you might hate.  Take in the information I share and store it.  Use it if you like, but remember it's not the best way for everyone, nor the right way for everyone, and you will need to sift through it and use what you like and discard the rest.

As parents we also tend to think our opinions need to be defended when other's opinions differ or we are disagreed with.  I want to stay away from that.  Although there are some parenting ideas that I strongly believe are wrong, I'm not here to tell anyone what to do, you have to make those decisions on your own, but I do want to put out there what I've chosen for our family and why without putting down anyone else's decisions or opinions.  I'm writing these posts for myself first because I want to remember where I've been so I can pass on my knowledge to my children, and then secondly for anyone else who happens to read here so that they can maybe be helped from my own experiences.  For anyone reading this series, let's be civil, friendly, helpful, and respectful!