Mamapedia: the Wisdom of Moms

I don't think I'll shock anyone when I mention the phrase, "opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one".

But you know what? Sometimes you're so fluxommed that you seek counsel. Advice. The OPINIONS of others, God forbid. It's that whole "been there, done that" philosophy.

Literally, three days ago a friend on Facebook asked about getting her son to sleep thru the night and starting to wean him from night breastfeeding. Another college friend and I both gave our methods and experiences, she having nursed three babies and myself racking up four former nursers. Our methods both included a minimal implementation of "crying it out". Yet another person the inquiring mom knows offered other options and was NOT a fan of any letting baby cry. (The other mom and I were virtually called out for being child abusers, definitely not a case where a difference of opinion was shared in a respectful manner)

Different strokes for different folks.

My biggest feeling is that while so many people have different viewpoints, the most important thing to remember is to be respectful of other people's choices. Especially when it comes to parenting. Isn't it a hard enough job already? We already second guess ourselves enough hoping we make the best decisions when it comes to care and discipline, that unless we're doing something harmful, it really isn't anyone else's business.

But what if there's a situation where you feel uncomfortable talking to your girlfriends or your favorite aunt, and you want a variety of information from other people who have already handled the same scenario? That's where Mamapedia comes in.

I have looked all over the site. I don't know how long Mamapedia has been online but the gamut of topics is already varied. Not only that, but some of my own kiddie "issues" are on the site with lots of detailed and thoughtful responses from a lot of moms.

My boy-crazy daughter Sammie....yeah, having a boyfriend in 1st grade is a topic. (FYI: the consensus of opinion being that it's pretty harmless...I agree). There's also a thread concerning getting kids a video game system or not.

From conception to adulthood, the Mamapedia site is broken down by age groups so that you can go directly to the age of the child you have where you may have an issue you are struggling with and find the topic already exists or post a new query.

Pretty slick.

If you're in a place where you need to get a little more perspective and just need a variety of advice, with all the feedback on Mamapedia, you're bound to find a voice in the crowd similar to yours that makes sense and is helpful. And the nice thing is, after you "solve" your problem, you can go back and update the thread on how things turned out.

Thanks to Mom Central for sharing this little gem...it just may help me survive the teen years. Maybe.