I Am The Avocado Mom

I read an article this week in which a mom felt judged by another mom who was feeding her child an avocado at the mall. http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/07/quit-pointing-avocado/

As I read the article I started thinking that a lot of people probably think of me as the avocado mom. Our family chooses to do things the more natural way. We are trying to take out foods from our diets that contain artificial additives and dyes.  I also make my own cleaning products and we use essential oils for various reasons. 

 But…. that is what we as a family choose to do.  

I promise I am not judging your choices and I really do not care if you feed your children pizza at the mall. 

However, I have been on the other end of “the look.”  I have been criticized by the “pizza mom.”  I have heard her say, “Give those poor children candy.  They are just children.  Don’t be so strict.”

My children are very sensitive to red dye.  We have just recently found out they are sensitive to other dyes as well. We have to be very strict with what they eat. There was a time when I could just let them have M&Ms for a fun treat. But recently my 10 year old came to me and said that he can tell he feels horrible when he eats food dyes and would like to find alternatives. 

I remember the first time that we were going to make alternate arrangements. We were going to an activity and I bought the kids organic juice to take with them. I was afraid to let them take it because I did not want people to think we were trying to be special. I even asked my husband if I should make them drink it in the kitchen so no one else could see them. He told me not to be silly and that it would be fine.  I will admit I spent most of the time trying to get them to hurry, while I worried about who would see them.  Although no one said anything, I still felt uncomfortable. The point I want to make is that I felt I was going to be judged because of my choices. I guess no matter what side you are on, you will feel judged.

I post things on Facebook about red dye, essential oils, and natural homemade cleaners. I am not doing that to judge the choices that you are making. I do that to defend the choices I am making. I believe if people read what I post, they will see there are reasons for my choices and maybe they won’t think I am strange. 

I think we as moms are just trying to do the best we know how to do with the special set of circumstances we are given for our particular families.