I became a mama about 8 years ago and along the way, there have been plenty of things that have surprised me and caught me off guard. Some examples you might relate to have been how long you bleed for after having a baby, how hard breastfeeding can be, how many questions kids have, and how many times I’ve eaten the words “I will never do that as a parent.” But the most surprising thing to me has been how often I feel like I need to defend my choices as a parent. 

Maybe you have heard the saying, “opinions are like butt cracks-everyone has one.” I’ve been reminded of that in this season. From the moment I found out I was pregnant with Archer someone always wanted to share about something. Maybe it was how I hoped to birth, if I was going to breastfeed, co-sleep or sleep train, feed with table foods or purees, vaccinate, how we would choose to school or discipline. I mean the list goes on and on. 

And here’s the thing. I love informed consent. In every situation, we evaluate the risks and the benefits and decide what is best for our family. We research (like really research actual data), we ask for wise counsel, pray and discern, and look at every perspective before making a decision when it comes to our children. Some things we did with Archer we didn’t do with Eisley. And some things that worked with him haven’t worked with her. Each child is different. Every family is different. We each have a unique genetic makeup, varying medical histories, and distinct personalities. 

Someone may not understand or agree with our decisions, and that’s okay. But those people usually don’t see the ins and outs of our family and they don’t know those unique and varying histories. Living is not one size fits all. We all have different values. I hope that you feel confident in making decisions for your family, even if you feel you are going against the grain. Children are such a gift, and we should never stop fighting for them.