Attack of the Alterna-Moms

I read a book review today of Erika Schikel’s book, You’re not the boss of me: Adventures of a Modern Mom and I couldn’t help but feel a certain attachment to this woman who writes, “I sucked at Alterna-Momming,” and “I simply didn’t have the conviction required to actually stuff a birthday piñata with raisins and string cheese. I could talk the talk, but I couldn’t walk 10 feet in their Birkenstocks… Realizing that I didn’t fit in with the Traditional Moms or Alternative Moms, I felt lost, unmoored, alone in my convictions. I was just a Slacker Mom with a guilty conscience.”

Although I don’t necessarily think that some of the decisions of the supposed “alterna-moms” are stressful or difficult to do, I can certainly relate to feeling overwhelmed by all of it. Oh boy, how I can relate to that. And as much as I think string cheese is a pretty good substitute for candy and plastic toys, I buy my pinatas at Wal*mart with the rest of you.

This is where choices come in. Alterna-mom or not, we all pick and choose what we can do singularly, and what our families can do collectively, to make our lives more earth-friendly and our children more aware. In doing so I hope I am/we are respecting others around us. Saying we are making a decision for ourselves is one thing, pointing at someone else and saying they are making the wrong decision is another thing entirely.

I believe that cloth diapers are the best choice for babies. I would hope that any readers here would consider it for their families, but perhaps their choice is to support local farmers, buy organic, ride bicycles instead of driving Suburbans.

Whatever you do, I hope you are striving for a lower impact. And should we meet in a playground, and you see my Birkenstocks plastic Crocs, I hope that you linger long enough to see me smile and offer you an organic granola chocolate bar. *wink*