6.12.2008

BPE

Let's get something straight; I do not read The Best Parent Ever. Someone recently sent me the link and I checked it out, only to be thoroughly disgusted for a number of reasons. I left a comment under the breastfeeding topic, expressing my desire to barf on the women bickering in there, and now I'm getting all these messages asking why I don't have Best Parent Ever in my Blogroll?? (No, I'm not going to approve your comments on my daughters blog, demanding to know why.)
The primary reason that I don't have the site in my Blogroll is because I am not a reader. I list sites that I regularly check or that my friends write. The other reason that I do not list that site is because I think it's crap. It is a rip off of a brilliant site called Stuff White People Like. SWPL is sharp, witty, smart, funny, observant, and erudite. BPE is hateful, mean-spirited, poorly-written and worst of all it's not even funny. Most of it doesn't even make sense (rescuing puppies?? Yahhoo groups??).
Anyone who knows me knows how much I despise Mommy Wars. I would never publicly criticize another mamas parenting decisions unless she was neglecting or abusing her child. I think that the culture of hyper-parenting brings out the worst of our competitive nature and it pits women against women, mother against mother when we should all be supporting one another. I don't care if you breastfeed or formula feed, let your kid watch TV or not, co-sleep or not, vaccinate or not. I do not own any parenting books. I have never read any of the trendy parenting theories or "sleep training" books. I don't trust someone just because they are a doctor or parent of fifteen or nanny for eighty years or whatever because no one knows me and no one knows Hazel like I do, and she and I are unlike anyone else. The parenting business thrives only if women question their own instincts and I'm not buying into it. Sometimes I know what I'm doing, and sometimes I don't, but I always trust my gut and I always block out the unsolicited advice.
I have made my choices that are best for me and my family, and I trust that other mothers are doing the same. I am the Best Parent for Hazel and I wont listen to anyone who wants to tell me otherwise. Hazel thinks I'm perfect, and hers is the only opinion that matters to me.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

word.

that disgusting site actually mad fun of my 15 month old.

they think they are soooo funny... when really they are soooo going to hell.

Anonymous said...

"I think that the culture of hyper-parenting brings out the worst of our competitive nature and it pits women against women, mother against mother when we should all be supporting one another." I couldn't have said this better - thank you for expressing this so well. I found that site just last week and was so saddened that it exists.