In the past month, I have read a ridiculous amount of articles. Mainly because I have no life, but also because I have an insane amount of questions. The internet is the perfect place to get answers, right?
WRONG.
Everything I look up has advice, counter-advice, and crazy people saying that it's common sense and people are stupid to be looking for answers. It gets worse when you are searching for health symptoms. Everything comes down to YOU ARE DYING.
My main problem right now is with my baby. To be clear: my baby is not the problem. She is perfect, even when she isn't (parents understand this statement without explanation). My problem is the advice. I do not go one day without seeing at least 5 articles on my Facebook about how to raise babies (I am guilty of sharing them, too; I'll explain the reason later.) They range from how to feed your baby> where baby should sleep> how to carry baby> HOW OFTEN TO TOUCH BABY?!?! It's too much.
Add on to this that there are people in your face about how to raise your child as well, and it's overwhelming. You have well-meaning parents, friends, strangers, and doctors telling you what's best, and asking personal questions. If you let it, you will start to second guess yourself.
So... how do you know what's best for you?
Stop listening.
No one knows your life better than you. If you don't time your baby's feedings, that's okay. If you think the cry-it-out method is barbaric, that's fine. If you want to "spoil" your child, do it. It's your prerogative. This goes for everything in life. If you are not hurting anyone (feelings don't count), then it shouldn't matter.
So, why do I share all of these articles if I feel this way? I read them, say "this is nonsense, I'll never do that", and then pass it along because: EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE. I lean toward a more natural approach to parenting, but not everyone feels the way I do. I also remember what I was like with my first child. I was so confused that I listened to everyone else instead of following my intuition, and I still regret it. This time around, I followed my heart as well as chose my role models better. By sharing what I find, even if it doesn't work for me, I hope to help someone else find their own way.
Good luck to everyone in life, even if you don't have a child while reading this. This philosophy goes for all aspects of my life. You know yourself best, so why would you let someone else tell you how to live?
