I never wanted to be "THAT" mom

this just screams "My mom's a Hippie!"

No, I don't mean the mom I already talked about in Great, now I am THAT mom!

I am talking about a totally different type mom.  One that I knew all along I NEVER wanted to be but now consider myself a proud card toting member of.  Well, proud for most days at least, exempt from the periodic bouts of second guessing brought on by friends/family/doctors.
This mom is the "Hippie Mom", or at least that's what I called her before I became one myself!  I saw her as the happy, love, rainbows and flowers mom.  The quirky mom who did "weird" things that just were not "normal" like breastfeeding, cloth diapering and cosleeping.  The mom who's kids ran around wearing tye-dyed items and peace signs all the time.

The "Hippie" Mom may practice:
*Please take not these were my impressions on this type of parenting before I ever had ANY kids.   I was such a great mom back when I had NO kids!

Breastfeeding,- YUCK!  I most definitely did NOT want to breastfeed my kids.  I saw it as something inferior to formula and something that only had to be done by those who could not afford the "superior" choice.  Formula companies are genius's when it comes to marketing and advertising I will give them that, even if it does violate WHO Codes.
*Once I was on the breastfeeding wagon I still felt it was totally gross and unnecessary to nurse a child over 6 months.  Once 6 ms hit I decided it was gross over age 1 because even formula is only given until age 1.  Once age 1 hit I decided it was gross to nurse past 18 months, he seemed like such a baby still.  Once he hit 18 months I decided 2 was the "gross age" for me.  He self weaned at 22 months so I have yet to actually reach an age that is truly "too much" for me as the girls had to be weaned much younger due to my unexpected pregnancy with Sariah.

Cosleeping- PLEASE!  No kids in my bed thank you very much.  That's a bad habit to start, once they are in they are in for life.  Just ask my friend who knows a guy who knows a guy who's hair dresser knows a guy who's kid slept in their bed until he was -insert extreme number that seems way to old to you here-

Baby Wearing- I'll take a bucket baby any day please!  How do you expect me to get anything done around here with a baby strapped to me?  That's what they invented baby swings, exersaucers, bouncy seats, the newest latest greatest must have baby gizmo for don't you know.

Baby Led Solids- do WHA A HUN A?  Are you speaking English?  If you are as confused as I was on this check out The Mom Informed: What Baby Led Solids IS and ISN'T
*I am now proud to say that Sariah has not had 1 single jar of baby food, ever.  Kimmy and Karma had some but I mostly made theirs, Sariah I didn't even do that.  She ate some lightly mashed bananas and avocados and just went form there to soft foods she could get to her own mouth.

Cloth Diapers- UMM, GROSS!  I have better things to do with my time than scrape poop out of diapers!  Wait, you mean you are supposed to do that with disposables too?  LUDICROUS!

Gentle Discpiline- Or as I liked to call it, Ineffective Mamby Pamby crap.  This is why kids are growing up to be spoiled, self-indulgent brats!  Smack them around a few times and they will shape up REAL quick.  It worked for you and I right?

Delayed or Anti Vaccines- Yeah, just rely on all of us people who vaccinate to keep your kids healthy too.  While you are at it, keep you cootie laden child away from mine before my kids catches some rare disease.  Its not like anyone dies from receiving a vaccine, right?  Besides, if they were really all that bad the government would make them illegal, after all the government always has the best interest of us all at heart.
*I have since learned all vaccines are not 100% effective and plenty of vaccinated kids still catch things like whooping cough and chicken pox.  I also have a daughter who has had 2 "seizures of unknown origin" at 6 and 12 months the just happened to have occurred within DAYS of receiving her vaccines.  They did many tests and could never figure out why the seizures occurred, finally classifying them as "unknown origin".  So we now do selective/delayed vaccines in our home.

baby lead solids, mmmm hummus.

There are many more "sins of the Hippie Mom" but these were the major ones I was against.  Many I fell "victim" to within days/months of my first child's birth.  Others it took awhile longer to convert me to the "dark side".  There are still others I waiver back and forth on such as vaccines and  homeschooling.  I can't handle homeschooling now, not with the girls so young and close in age. I jsut feel I would not be able to give Teddy the proper time/attention needed to really learn, but I have not ruled it out in the future.  I am not so sure I am ready for Free Range kids either but who kows what may come to be.

The thing is, the mom I thought was so cooky actually has a few things going for her!  She is informed.  She doesn't just blindly follow the pack doing what everyone else does because, well, that's what everyone else does.  She researches and looks into all of the options, choosing the one that is right for her family.  Not saying mama's who parent the opposite have not also done their research and are informed, just saying I made snap judgements about the Hippie Mom before really giving her a chance.

The Hippie Mom can surprise you.  Sure, she seems a bit extreme at times, but she always has the best interests of her kids at heart.  She is a fighter and she is willing to fight for those that she loves.  She also makes a really great friend, if you can get over all the "crazy" things she may post on her FB wall daily.

While your at it, take a look at a few of those "crazy posts".  It was other crazy Hippie Moms who converted me to many of the things I was so vehemently against before having kids of my own.

So I would like to rename this mom, she is no longer the Hippie Mama in my eyes, she is the Instinctual Mama!  She trusts her instincts and listens to her kids.  She is not the sum of her parenting choices, she is simply a mom making the best decisions based on her knowledge!  I am a proud to list myself within her ranks!

Love,
this unlikely Hippie Mama,
Christy

P.S. My kids do not own anything with peace signs, they may have a few tye-dyed items though.....just sayin......