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| Jacob in our Ergo at Starved Rock State Park |
I've always been somewhat of a black sheep in my family; stopped eating beef and pork when I was ten, went full-on vegetarian a few years back, always yelling at my mom for throwing her soda cans in the trash and washing her towels daily; so it's no surprise that when my son was born and we let our family know that we were going to be cloth diapering and raising him vegetarian that we got some looks. And some comments.
"What if he wants to go to McDonalds?" "What if he asks for meat?" "I hope you're ready to do a lot of laundry!" "Isn't that going to be really messy?"
Thankfully, my mother in law was a cloth diapering, babywearing, breastfeeding mama, who is very sensitive to our vegetarian principles. But to other members of my family, I am looked at as the "crazy hippie mama". And while, to them, I seem to be engulfed in a fad of "green living" and am "depriving my son of the chance to eat chicken mcnuggets", I wear the badge of "crazy hippie mama" with pride.
Now I realize that for some families, going to McDonalds is a treat for their kids, something that they want to share with them that feels like a right of passage. And for others, McDonalds is simply the best they can afford. Everybody does the best with what they have, and I have no judgements for those families who choose to eat McDonalds, I simply choose another way of living.
I am proud to be a "crazy hippie mama" because I know that I feel good about the way that I am raising my son. I know that I am helping the environment by using cloth diapers and being a vegetarian, and by wearing my son, he is close to his mother and knows that I am right there when he needs me. And by nursing my son until he decides it's time to stop, I know that I am respecting his own personal schedule. I am also reducing my risk of ovarian and breast cancer, plus I'm creating an environment where Mommy equals comfort, and no matter how angry I may get at times, there is always that safe, nurturing place for Jacob to go.
And while I am not a fan of the judgements that sometimes come with being the crunchy person in a group, I love being able to share with others while I chose this lifestyle. I see the comments as an opportunity. This person sees me as foreign, I'm doing something unfamiliar to them, and therefore, I have a chance to educate them on a different way of life. Whether or not they still see me as a crazy hippie afterwards is out of my control. But we all do the best we know how, and this is what I know:
- My son wants to be near me. So it makes sense for me to stay close to him, whether I work on the floor while he's playing independently next to me, or I wear him in a sling so that he has constant access to Mommy.
- I don't believe in eating animals. So I am raising my son to understand these values, our family values, and when he's older, if he points to a chicken mcnugget and asks to eat it, I will explain to him that it was once an animal, and if he's still fine with eating it, then that's his choice. But he needs to be able to understand where his food comes from first. This is more of an issue of respect than anything. I respect my son enough to educate him on what his food really is instead of just letting him eat it blindly.
- I want to do my part in helping the planet. So I cloth diaper and use cloth wipes at home. But I am also fortunate that I mostly stay at home and therefore have the time to do laundry every 3 days. I completely understand that not everyone has this luxury, so we all do our part in any way we can.
- Jacob still wants to nurse. So I am going to let him until he decides that he wants to stop. Because it is his choice, there is indisputable evidence to support the benefits, and I love those moments where he is so close to me.
Not everyone can or wants to be a "crazy hippie mama", but in my house, the crunchier the better!
