Everybody has one

You know how the saying goes.  An opinion, that is. It seems like if people don't have one about anything else, they do have one about parenting.

I admit that I have them too.  In a quest to set a better example for my son, I've resolved to be less judge-y, and keep them to myself.  But that's a topic for another day.

I do certainly believe that there are things you can do wrong as a parent.  Not using a car seat, or using it incorrectly, comes to mind.  As I've said before, if I have a parenting style it's to follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  So that's adhering to SCIENTIFIC recommendations from EXPERTS in the field.  Common sense, really.  Still, people will tell you that the AAP's recommendations are wrong. 

Members of the older generation are good at this.  Somehow the fact that anything has changed in the last 30 years is unfathomable to them.  "Aw, my kids slept face down on a pillow, ate lead paint, and didn't wear seatbelts, and they turned out just fine!"  It's more shocking to me how many of my peers seem to think Grandma knows better than the pediatrician, but they're out there too.

Aside from following the AAP's recommendations on safety issues, much of parenting is preference.  I know there are many things that I thought I would handle differently until I was in the situation, and then I had to do what worked best for us.  There are areas in which I followed others' advice and wish that I hadn't. 

I definitely sought out the advice of other moms, and I still do.  I've also tried to give mom advice.  The best advice, though, always starts with "what worked for me..."  What worked for me may not work for you.  You may have different views on rooming in/ sleep training/ family planning, etc. and that's okay.  As long as you are keeping your child safe and doing the best that you can you are not doing it "wrong" no matter what your neighbor/ mother-in-law/ lady at the grocery store tells you.