Another Organic Rant

  While drinking my first coffee in a week, I read an article about organic food and how we, parents, are killing our kids feeding them pesticide riddled meals. And I've had it. Stop trying to make us feel like failures. Stop trying to scare us and blame us for health issues in our kids futures. Just STOP!

  You know who can afford to eat 100% organic and healthy? Rich people. Or folks with high paying jobs who have no children. The rest of us? Not a chance. Why? Because organic food is always more expensive. Always. My grocery bill is high already but would double, at least, every month if we went totally organic. 

  A family only has so much money to live on and we all pick and choose what we spend it on. Yes we choose. We choose piano lessons and soccer. French tutors and good shoes. Snow suits and warm boots. Bicycles and braces. And yes we choose visits to Disney and family pizza nights too. 

  Every month I pay a mortgage on a house we bought primarily because it was in a good school district. I make a car payment on a vehicle that is kid-friendly and has room for their friends too. Money goes into an RESP so both my kids have the opportunity to go on in their education if they choose to. I try to put some cash aside for our retirement so we aren't relying on our children to care for us in our golden years. Our financial life is based almost entirely on our children.

  Parents take enough crap daily on our choices. We are judged by everyone....including other parents! I'm doing the best I can. 99.9% of all parents are too. We are all aware we could do better. What we don't need is you trying to publicly shame us for not meeting your ideals. I am aware it takes a village to raise a child but the village should be a supportive one, not a judgmental one.

  One final note. My friend Mari, who I affectionately call "Granola" at times, doesn't judge. Why is she different? I think it's because she has children and knows first hand the financial choices parents make daily and how we struggle to make the right ones. Parents seem to get the most vocal judgement on this topic from childless people. 

  Why can't we all be more like Mari?

  Ang