Why Not Focus On What’s Really Important?

There’s been a lot of stir around the Gillette incidence on a Delta Airlines flight (kicked off for not covering herself while breastfeeding). It’s prompted the declaration of a National Nurse-In Day, which is today by the way. All around the U.S., women are sitting in front of Delta Airlines airport counters nursing their babies. I breastfeed, and I love it, and I feel it’s important for my baby. I think what happened to Gillette was wrong, and I support the activism around this issue. With that said, one thing I noticed very quickly with parenting issues is that there is very little middle ground. On most topics of any interest, it’s either this or that:

There are people who firmly believe they’re right that women should not nurse in public (or can only nurse in public the way they think it should be done), and then there are people who oppose those people.

There are people who firmly believe that a baby’s cries should never be ignored and always responded to by holding the baby, and then there are people who oppose those people.

There are people who firmly believe that children should not watch television, and then there are people who oppose those people.

There are people who firmly believe that their parenting choices are the right ones, and then there are people who oppose those people.

The world of parenting is divided into all these “cliques.” Within the cliques, everyone is kind and supportive. The relationships between the cliques, though, um, not so supportive and, most of the time, not so kind. Why not take all that energy that goes into bickering over these issues, (and I’m not saying that any of these issues aren’t relevant), and instead, rally around what’s really important:

There are children who cry because they’re scared for their lives, and we can all be against that.

There are children who are hungry and not being fed (by breast or by bottle), and we can all be against that.

There are children who are physically, mentally, and sexually abused, and we can all be against that.