I follow several “mom to mom” pages on social media. Some may ask, WHY?
Sometimes I ask myself that very same question.
Some posts, as innocent as they may seem, can and do stir up some deep feelings. Everyone has an opinion…obviously. I am fairly certain that the majority of the people who participate in these conversations are adults and could conduct themselves as such. There is no need for name-calling or over zealous CAPS style comments. Very rarely am I tempted to reach through the screen and give someone a shake (rarely) but let’s be honest there is a bully in almost every crowd.
So, if you are having a bad day and don’t have anything nice or constructive to say… don’t say anything at all. I’m not recommending withholding information, let’s just be polite! As we all know there are two sides to every story.
Now here are a few simple reasons why I love these sites:
· It gives me insight as to what people want to know about pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.
· I can easily spot the “trends” or popular beliefs/disbeliefs that exist in my community.
· From time to time I can answer a flustered writers question.
· It’s a great place to share resources.
· I really do discover new things.
· Oh yeah, I am a mom. ;)
Nearly every time I visit these pages I am blown away by the encouragement and support that takes place in these exchanges. Women from every walk of life sharing on several subjects with helpful insight, knowledgeable facts, true wisdom and real concern….BRILLIANT! Some posts will receive 50+ replies with constructive comments. For new parents this can be a valuable resource. Receiving advice or direction from a mother on a social media site also means you can read through the comments and select the advice that suits you without feeling like you have hurt anyone’s feelings (mother, mother in law, sister, sister in law, aunt, granny, neighbor, etc.). It certainly can save you from choosing to Google a topic (that’s a topic for another day - being left with the task of triaging through loads of unrelated articles can be daunting.)
As a subscriber to these pages and a frequent “commenter” I want to send out a big thank you to those of you who take the time to reply in a polite and helpful manner. It can be really scary to put yourself out there for the world to judge! We all have doubts and seeing others share their concerns and curiosities assures us that we are all in fact human.
Much love!