I am THAT mom....

I am THAT mom, you know the one that slept with her baby (even in the hospital.)


I am THAT mom, you know the one that put cloth diapers on her baby's bottom and actually found it addictive to buy and/or sew cute little diapers for their bottoms.  


I am THAT mom, you know the one that breastfed all of her children until they were ready to wean, even though that was nearly 6 years old for one of them. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that never had a hat on her tiny little baby, unless of course they wanted one. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that never had socks or shoes on her tiny baby.


I am THAT mom, you know the one that wore her babies and barely ever put them down when they were under six months old. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that never fed her baby jarred baby food. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that allowed her baby to eat dirt. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that did not hover and tell her children that they could not do something because they were "too little."


I am THAT mom, you know the one that allowed her three year old son to get a mohawk. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that also allowed her four year old son to get his ears pierced and then gauged. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that allowed her twelve year old daughter to get her belly button pierced. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that took her seventeen year old daughter to get a tattoo. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that does not censor anything in regards to what my children listen to or watch. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that listens to her children's concerns and gives them advice without shaming or instilling fear into their minds. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that allows her children to have a choice in  how they want to live their lives, exploring, experimenting and learning from their own mistakes. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that supports her children's decisions even though they may not be in line with her own beliefs.


I am THAT mom, you know the one that refuses to hide behind embarrassment when we discuss uncomfortable topics. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that strives to live a life where I am not controlling my children's actions but often falters due to societal pressures. 


I am THAT mom, you know the one that wants to live a peaceful life but often falters and ends up screaming in frustration. 


I know that there are many aspects of my parenting that make people roll their eyes, like when my son walks out with shorts on, no shoes and no coat when it is forty degrees outside or like when I allow my children to pierce their bodies at "tender, young ages." My style of parenting definitely does not work for everybody, but it works for us. I am often questioned about my motives or my goals for my children as they grow. My goals and aspirations for them are just for them to be happy, healthy and confident young people who stand up for what they believe and know that no matter what I will love them regardless of their decisions and/or mistakes that they make. I, also, want them to know that they can come to me to talk about anything without feeling shamed and judged. I do not think there is anything more than I can ask for. 


I have witnessed parents who push their children so hard, wanting them to succeed in something that they feel will better their children's lives in some way shape or form. A lot of parents push their children so hard that it in turn makes them despise their parents and/or the activity that they once loved. I want my children to want to succeed in life because they are passionate about it, not because I forced them into it. I have always given my children the option to try out anything that they feel they would enjoy. My only stipulation is that if I pay for a semester or season that they do their best and complete it. If after that they don't enjoy it they can opt to not continue. Thankfully my children have been given the freedom to explore and have found activities that they are passionate about and excel at.