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	<title>Comments on: Mainstream Parenting: A Shelter in the Mommy Blog Storm</title>
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		<title>By: Estherar</title>
		<link>http://www.james-strocel.com/mainstream-parenting-a-shelter-in-the-mommy-blog-storm/comment-page-1/#comment-16333</link>
		<dc:creator>Estherar</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:13:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.james-strocel.com/?p=910#comment-16333</guid>
		<description>Thank you for your kind words! 

Amber - a parent always has a right to make decisions regarding their children (up to the point they&#039;re not outright neglecting or abusing them, naturally). My beef is with self-styled &#039;experts&#039; who push a very specific parenting agenda while claiming the science is on their side. Well, I&#039;ve looked at the science, and it doesn&#039;t say what they claim it does. 

The primary purpose of the blog is to collect resources (what I write and links to other sources) for use in online discussions and debates. Hence its name.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you for your kind words! </p>
<p>Amber &#8211; a parent always has a right to make decisions regarding their children (up to the point they&#8217;re not outright neglecting or abusing them, naturally). My beef is with self-styled &#8216;experts&#8217; who push a very specific parenting agenda while claiming the science is on their side. Well, I&#8217;ve looked at the science, and it doesn&#8217;t say what they claim it does. </p>
<p>The primary purpose of the blog is to collect resources (what I write and links to other sources) for use in online discussions and debates. Hence its name.</p>
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		<title>By: Amber</title>
		<link>http://www.james-strocel.com/mainstream-parenting-a-shelter-in-the-mommy-blog-storm/comment-page-1/#comment-16323</link>
		<dc:creator>Amber</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:02:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.james-strocel.com/?p=910#comment-16323</guid>
		<description>The truth is that parents are responsible for making parenting decisions. Period. Not experts, or scientists, or those with special training. Experts and scientists have made a lot, a LOT, of very bad recommendations. 50 years ago many doctors recommended against breastfeeding because it was &#039;unscientific&#039; and therefore inferior. Or they routinely removed children&#039;s tonsils to prevent problems later. Now we know they were wrong.

Plus, you can find experts and scientists who disagree. Not on every issue, but on many issues. How do you know who to trust? You don&#039;t always. And so you&#039;re left to rely on your own judgment. I think it&#039;s dangerous to completely disregard your instincts and judgment in parenting.

I take scientific evidence into account, which is why my children are vaccinated. It&#039;s also why I breastfeed and use car seats. I also consider my own intuition, which is why I use slings that Consumer Reports says I shouldn&#039;t. Or bring my babies into my bed to nurse so that we can all get some sleep. My kids, my call.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The truth is that parents are responsible for making parenting decisions. Period. Not experts, or scientists, or those with special training. Experts and scientists have made a lot, a LOT, of very bad recommendations. 50 years ago many doctors recommended against breastfeeding because it was &#8216;unscientific&#8217; and therefore inferior. Or they routinely removed children&#8217;s tonsils to prevent problems later. Now we know they were wrong.</p>
<p>Plus, you can find experts and scientists who disagree. Not on every issue, but on many issues. How do you know who to trust? You don&#8217;t always. And so you&#8217;re left to rely on your own judgment. I think it&#8217;s dangerous to completely disregard your instincts and judgment in parenting.</p>
<p>I take scientific evidence into account, which is why my children are vaccinated. It&#8217;s also why I breastfeed and use car seats. I also consider my own intuition, which is why I use slings that Consumer Reports says I shouldn&#8217;t. Or bring my babies into my bed to nurse so that we can all get some sleep. My kids, my call.</p>
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		<title>By: Melissa Quinn</title>
		<link>http://www.james-strocel.com/mainstream-parenting-a-shelter-in-the-mommy-blog-storm/comment-page-1/#comment-16315</link>
		<dc:creator>Melissa Quinn</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:05:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.james-strocel.com/?p=910#comment-16315</guid>
		<description>Like my mother before me, I read a couple pregnancy and parenting books, got really anxious and worried about being perfect, and then the baby arrived and I didn&#039;t have time for that nonsense anymore.  The books didn&#039;t mention a thing about some of the physical indicators of labor or my vertical learning curve as a new mother, except to be vaguely encouraging and comforting.  What the?!?  Not useful. At all.  My MIL was very helpful but at a certain point, I even wanted her to can it.  I talk with other mothers to cull ideas, but in the end, it&#039;s been ingenuity and persistance and honest good will that got me through some of the tougher moments.  Knock on wood, I know there will be more.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Like my mother before me, I read a couple pregnancy and parenting books, got really anxious and worried about being perfect, and then the baby arrived and I didn&#8217;t have time for that nonsense anymore.  The books didn&#8217;t mention a thing about some of the physical indicators of labor or my vertical learning curve as a new mother, except to be vaguely encouraging and comforting.  What the?!?  Not useful. At all.  My MIL was very helpful but at a certain point, I even wanted her to can it.  I talk with other mothers to cull ideas, but in the end, it&#8217;s been ingenuity and persistance and honest good will that got me through some of the tougher moments.  Knock on wood, I know there will be more.</p>
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		<title>By: Jessica</title>
		<link>http://www.james-strocel.com/mainstream-parenting-a-shelter-in-the-mommy-blog-storm/comment-page-1/#comment-16295</link>
		<dc:creator>Jessica</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.james-strocel.com/?p=910#comment-16295</guid>
		<description>There was an article or small rant in the Westender today about the same thing - bloggers making child-rearing &quot;trendy&quot;, and a separate rant ending with &quot;All drivers need to take a test for their license, but anyone can be a parent.&quot;

Scary truths!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There was an article or small rant in the Westender today about the same thing &#8211; bloggers making child-rearing &#8220;trendy&#8221;, and a separate rant ending with &#8220;All drivers need to take a test for their license, but anyone can be a parent.&#8221;</p>
<p>Scary truths!</p>
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