My OP: Natural Parenting and Politics

I started my parenting young and a few years ago, almost 18 years ago to be exact. When I started out I hadn't done a whole lot of research into what was important and what things I wanted to use (style, models, practices), I winged it. And followed alot of advice from mainstream parenting books. Then were things you did and things you didn't do. There was the right way of parenting and the wrong way. Do this or your child will turn out like this. Do this so your child will be independent. So your child will be smart. So your child will the best. Many of that advice was hard for me to put into practice and I felt many times over like I was failing. I couldn't stay on track, couldn't follow the guide lines. I stoped reading and started doing what felt "right". My parenting style has evolved since then. I don't follow a lot of mainstream advice still, I tend to lean towards a natural parenting style, have found it fits my style and goals, and I don't doubt myself anymore.

But what's starting to become more more obvious is how the political world doesn't like how I, and many many others, are taking on a new way of parenting. Getting back to basics and back to what's natural. What many generations before did. That we are turning away from a way of life that brings money to the pockets of those that run this country and helps us to raise open minded, think for yourself children and adults- people that question first and make decisions that are based upon ALL the information. Thinkers, not sheeple.So many things are being attacked for reasons that just seem like they want to control and take away our choices. They KNOW what's best and we don't need to have those choices.

It started last year with baby carriers. One company made one that was dangerous and now they're all dangerous and need to be regulated. Standards need to be met. I don't totally disagree with this but the standards and tests the government will, more than likely, require will come at a cost that many small businesses will not be able to afford. And in the long run put most out of business.

Then came Highlands Teething Tablets and the governments (FDA) attack. We still are out of this product, with no real end in sight. A homeopathic remedy used by many in the mainstream gone. It took months afterwards for the FDA to issue a warning about the active ingredient in mainstream oral gels (like Orajel) being dangerous and still no recall. We have a choice still to use that product but they took the choice away for the teething tablets. (Wondering why? My theory: One is a non-pharmaceutical company, a natural company- The other a big Pharma company. Can you guess which one?)

Along comes the next big one and most recent. Water Birth Pools. The FDA seized a shipment and was threatening to destroy it. The FDA in its wisdom has deemed them "medical equipment". What does this do? Takes away our choice. Birth pools, for some, go hand in hand in home birth. (I personally desired to labor and birth in a pool with our last son J, but for a few personal reason, mainly lack of hot water- we were having issues with our hot water heater, decided not to use the one I was loaned by my MW. I don't not regret my choice but at least I had the choice.) And home birth is growing, taking business away from hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Home birth=  No Drugs. There are some searching for women that gave birth in a "pool" before 1978, to try and get Birth Pools grandfathered in, to avoid millions of $$, years of "trials", to make them accessable. (See this blog for more information.) But again this all boils down to the government making sure we're "safe", according to them- but it seems like it has more to do with the bottom line..Money. They can't make money if they're parent companies aren't making money. The pressure is building to make those seeking alternative lifestyles conform to the norm.

As the title of this states these are my opinions. Just injecting that here.

There are numerous other "little" things going on...ones that we don't see or hear or think about on a daily basis. Or ones we blow off as some day it'll change or the government will back off.

GMOs- these are highly unregulated, at least as to getting into our food sources- the only choices we have are to buy organic and for some this is not an option 100% of the time. Or there are people out there that don't know how dangerous they are- we could argue about being informed but in reality not everyone has the knowledge on How to be informed or they've never learned that they can be informed. And there are those that don't have a choice because they are being held captive- Children in public schools where the only option is to eat what the school serves and the school is serving them what they can afford (not organics- the cheapest bid is always the winner when in comes to all government jobs.). I am not attacking the menu of the schools here, they have the childrens' best interest at heart but are limited in options and hands are tied. The parents of these children do not have the choice to send an organic lunch to school with their kids- it is not allowed. GMOs' chemicals have been found in the blood stream of pregnant, and non pregnant women and their unborn and newborn babies. We have no idea what they (GMOs) are doing to them and us. There is no long term science behind it.

And what about the feeding of antibiotics to live stock in the US. On May 26th, 2011 FoxNews.com posted that several environmental and health-advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the FDA to ban widespread use of ABx in livestock.

"The groups charge that the FDA concluded years ago that large-scale dosing of penicillin and tetracyclines in animal feed was causing bacteria to become resistant to drugs that humans rely on to fight infections, but the government agency failed to act."

The government has an agenda- to make money. This is how the country is run. There is no denying it and no way around it but we are loosing our personal freedoms because of overspending and the need for More. In general the culture of America is about more of everything. But simplicity is making a come back and with it revenue is going down.

The government is there to "protect" us. But what if more and more people are finding they don't want protecting or that we're not being protected by controlled. We are loosing freedoms are a very rapid pace. What can we do? Talk about it, blog about it, post about it- just get word out. Vote about it- vote for those that are really wanting to protect what's important: Our Freedom of choice. That is the biggest thing that sets us apart, what this country was first based upon. We need Representatives with voices- Big voices. Voices that can be heard over the big voices of the companies that really run this country. Think about the choices we have, in all aspects- who we can vote for and what they are taking from us.

Natural living, parenting and lifestyles are a choice, an informed choice, and are being threatened daily. The movement towards these lifestyles is gaining momentum but with that momentum, the speed bumps are becoming more regular. But that's what they are bumps in the road. We have to work at getting over them- together.