winging it: ignoring the mommy wars

One of the great things about the internet is that everybody can just say their opinion at any time and there is a distinct possibility that a billion people will read it. This is also a very, very terrible thing about the internet. 

Now, I was raised by people who followed the philosophy of the great Rhett Butler. He, if you recall, frankly did not give a *darn*. Their strategy was part confidence and part arrogance, but it did teach us, their children, to not pay too much attention to what other people thought about what we said or did. So even with parenting, I've always observed the mommy-wars and baby message boards with a bit of detachment, because, come on, I know these kids, despite what hottiemommy08 might think. 

Still, I remember as I watch my 2 year old eat french fries off the floor, I remember what some people think about that kind of thing. It doesn't stop me, but I am aware of a potential side-eye at any moment, because I might have progressed from laid-back to borderline negligent in my 14 years of parenting. 

All this to say, when I purchased a "baby leash" after Tristan a) ran down the driveway into the road b) ran away at a picnic and was found exploring options to get in the creek c) met all the DOGS everywhere and d) has propelled me and/or the MOG into a full-effort sprint on multiple occasions, I heard them, the leash critics, in my mind. (Just take a second and realize how many commas I put in that sentence. I am out of control.) Like cmip for example: 

But now I am old, and he is fast and reckless like a Vin Diesel car and I just want some control. So we harnessed him and took him to the lake. And you know what, priusmomof3? It worked. Pretty much. 

At first he was like: 

but then he figured out he was tethered and he was like: 

and then he was like, I'm gonna go IN THE LAKE anyway: 

 and finally we just found a big open road and let him be like: 

In the end, we're all figuring out these humans God gave us to raise. So grace to you, however you figure out to do that. Me, I'm gonna strap him down and feed him cheeseburgers until he falls asleep.