America’s Most Wanted and What It Taught Me about Parenting

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On a day like any other day I decided to watch America’s Most Wanted. (I have a weakness for reality tv – no judging!).  Anyway, I turned it on expecting to see some bad guys doing some bad stuff but what I saw instead was some REALLY BAD GUYS doing some REALLY BAD STUFF. So bad that it still lives with me now, years later. But, fortunately, at least a glimmer of good came from it as it gave me some very valuable parenting perspective and has helped to shape the foundation of my beliefs – for the better.

The aforementioned really bad guys had adopted seven kids from Guatemala, and treated them horribly.  I will spare you the details, however, they were charged with child neglect, child abuse, tampering with a witness, and manslaughter.

And suddenly using formula instead of breastfeeding didn’t seem like that big of a deal. The kids are fed. 
Suddenly “spoiling” babies by holding them too much isn’t such a big deal. The kids are being loved. 
Suddenly letting toddlers have a pacifier into age two isn’t such a big deal. Your toddler is loved and allowed to have a source of comfort.
Suddenly waiting to potty train until age three to four isn’t such a big deal. They are loved and clean while everyone works towards this overall goal.

Because let me tell you… not all kids experience these very basic human rights of being fed, clean, clothed, cuddled, comforted, encouraged, etc.

America's Most Wanted and What It Taught Me about Parenting | Duluth Moms Blog

I still have my opinions about what is ideal when it comes to parenting but I simply don’t know how to ever be exceptionally passionate about anything that, at the end of the day, is not a big deal. At least not in the grand scheme of things.

This America’s Most Wanted story forever changed me and how I perceive things happening around me.
No little, every-day parenting choices are really all that bad. Most choices are made out of love and/or necessity. If kids are loved and cared for that’s what matters.

In the mom world I have worn my judgy pants and I have felt judged as well. It used to rattle me a bit at first, as it does many people. I think we all worry we’re doing it wrong and messing up our kids – oh, you know, for life – and then to have someone jump in and advocate that same fear, it doesn’t feel good. It makes you feel insecure and defensive even.

Often online, when someone posts one thing about being proud they breastfeed because breast is best, another person will be angry saying formula is fine too and fed is best. And so begins the mommy war.  The back and forth of why they are right and you are wrong. We’re all so passionate about what we believe is best that we sometimes lose sight of what is truly important – loved children who are taken care of by their parents.

I love hearing advice and I will always consider it and give it a fair chance but ultimately, it’s my decision what to do – and it’s yours too. Before I settled into how I want to parent, the feelings of judgement could be overwhelming at times, and – honestly – you can’t win.  Depending on who you ask, if you hold your babies too much they’ll be spoiled, but if you let them cry they are killing important brain cells and they will learn to distrust the world and so, you cannot really make everyone happy because many don’t even agree on what is ideal! It’s important to trust your instincts and do your research and do what you think is best for your family – don’t apologize. Someone will always think you’re doing it wrong, but if you’re acting out of love and meeting your child’s needs then you probably really aren’t.

I sometimes find myself feeling passionate about the things I believe are ideal but my mind wanders back to this story and I take a step back again.

America's Most Wanted and What It Taught Me about Parenting | Duluth Moms Blog

We’re all doing the best we can.  If at the end of the day your child is loved and cared for you are doing a darn good job.

Believe that.

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Christine
Christine is a baby-wearing mom-to-five, who are eight and under {8, 8, 6, 4, six months}. She works mostly as a stay-at-home mom who is always, ahem, always on the go, but also works as a part-time photographer at Christine Ann Photography, is a non-traditional student, and is a caretaker to her son as he goes through treatment for T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Christine is your resident hot mess mom and self-proclaimed master of Pinterest fails. She loves to travel, laugh, relax, pray, binge-watch Netflix while editing photos, and take entire showers without any interruptions. You can follow Christine's work as a photographer on Facebook And Instagram And follow her personal journey on Instagram And her son's medical journey on Caringbridge :) :).

2 COMMENTS

  1. I learned after my first child that I didn’t mind waiting until they are almost 3 to potty train. Everything was so much easier. They could take off their own clothes, practice wiping themselves, and were extremely verbal about needing to go potty.

    Just last week, my 2 year old was in the bathroom and I praised her for her potty time. Another mom, smiling at me, thinking this was my first (not my fourth), said, “oh, have you heard of such and such book, you can potty train before they turn 1.”

    It made me laugh inside that this older mom was giving me potty training advice. I could have told her about the past 7 years of potty training that I’ve done with my own 4 and with 2 other children we cared for, about stressing out with my first born because everyone from family and friends said he should have been potty trained by a certain age. I could have told her about how easy it was with my 3rd when I stopped caring what “everyone else said” and just let her train on her own time. Instead, I just smiled and thanked her for the information. 🙂

    thank you for this article, Christine, you have a great writing style!!

    • Hi Rachel!

      I have been through similar things about feeling like xx is supposed to happen by xx age. One of my biggest parenting regrets is taking pacifiers away from my twins – not because I felt they shouldn’t have them or because their teeth were being negative impacted (neither were even happening) – but because I felt like others thought they shouldn’t have them as toddlers. I still regret that, but all I can really do is learn from it and try not to let social pressure affect parenting decisions I don’t feel good about even doing.

      Thank you for sharing your story, such a good example. Kind of unrelated to the overall theme of our talk, but I remember someone giving me diaper brand advice when I was buying diapers for my fourth.. they assumed I was a first time mom ha ha but I already knew the information they offered, but I too smiled and said thanks!

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