Natural
Parenting Comes Naturally
Had
someone told me five years ago that I was a "natural parent,"
I would have sputtered in protest. To me, natural parenting brought
to mind images of a woman toting a baby attached to her breast
in public, sleeping communally on a mattress on the floor and
flaunting hairy armpits. None of those pictures pertained to me!
Older and wiser now, I realize that I am most definitely a natural
parent. I do what comes naturally to me, and I don’t let
society’s definition of convenience or of natural family
compel me to do otherwise.
When
Your Parenting Comes Under Fire
People
say the darnedest things sometimes -- and natural parenting practices
can be a common target in mainstream America. How do you respond
when people question or criticize your parenting? And how can
you build bridges with inquisitors, helping them hear and consider
new ideas about attachment parenting and natural parenting? Deirdre
Monahan, a cosleeping mother from South Dakota, has tried all
sorts of tactics with friends and family members who question
her parenting style. “My family of origin has some different
ideas about raising children,” she says. “I think
I have used everyone of these at some time or another.”
Try out some of Deirdre’s gentle (and some not-so-gentle,
but still respectful) comebacks, easily adapted to your own particular
situation.