Are more and more parenting issues coming down to opinion?

With all the 'professionals' unable to agree on many issues, how are we to know who is right? Issues such as the saftey of co-sleeping, vaccinations, smacking as a form of discipline are all regularly agreed or disagreed with by people that we are supposed to trust as they know better, they are paid to research better, are more qualified than ourselves. Are these issues now coming down to our own personal beliefs in them?Are more and more parenting issues coming down to opinion?
i no longer listen to 'health professionals'. i'm so sick of my children being treated like text book kids. every child is an individual, therefore not every child follows their golden rules. its like, at the start of every pregnancy, most women follow what they tell you not to do in order to prevent a miscarriage and ensure a healthy baby. the chances of a miscarriage is 1 in 4 in early pregnancy. now if i women follows all what she is meant to do, yet still goes onto miscarry- all she will hear from the medical profession 9 times out of 10 is, its 1 of those things. therefore my analysis is, they haven't got a bloody clue- and most of it is guess work. this does not stop just at pregnancy, but for those lucky enough to have their child, it continues throughout childhood. i was told by 1 HV not to co-sleep as it increased the risk of SIDS. i co-slept both times so far, obviously i didn't listen. as for vaccinations, i was given the talk about autism, blah blah blah. i didn't care. i wanted a child protected from something a lot more dangerous than autism. and i have been told NEVER to use smaking as a form of punishment, rather that i should ignore bad behaviour when it occurs. while i would use the ignoring method in certain instances, naughty chairs, talking to my children, taking away treats. i'm sorry, but i firmly believe that extreme bad behaviour calls for what my mother describes as a skite (a tap to the back of the hand). i believe their 'advice' should be taken with a pinch of salt. my final example is, both my kids were born with the same disability. my daughters was a lot worse out of the 2 and she required several operations after birth. i was told that statistically, she would not walk before she was 3. my daughter took her 1st steps at 14 months because of MY hard work through baby massage and swimming. i don't believe in statistics! therefore i don't believe they always know whats best, and i don't care if they studied for 7 years- i carried them for 9 months and even though they may cut the cord at birth, that bond never goes away x hope i answered your question correctly lynne, sorry for waffling, lol xAre more and more parenting issues coming down to opinion?
Personally, I may little attention to what 'professionals' say over such things due to the amount it changes from professional to professional. You could argue the toss over every single point - there is always something to contradict the other. In fact, I think everything I've decided on (to vaccinate, not to use a dummy, not to smack, to co-sleep, to breastfeed, not to cry it out) has been due to instinct and my opinion on things don't change according to what some supposed professional thinks about it.
For me personally, I feel that it's important to have a mind of your own and do the research. Just because someone say's something does not make it true. Regardless of how much of a professional they may be. Same goes for books and the internet, just because it is written does not mean its right. A lot of my parenting decisions come down to common sense. It also depends on whether or not my child will be put in harms way or not. I think the most difficult decisions are the personal decisions. The ones that do not involve physical harm to your child but possibly mental or health. For example, co-sleeping. The debate on the pros and cons to co-sleeping can go on for hours and really come down to your personal opinion on the subject. I feel as long as you make an educated decision on the subject, weight the pros and cons and are not just making a blind decision because someone else said so then your looking out for the childs best interest. Any parenting decision that comes from me is based on personal experience, educating myself and using common sense. I refuse to do something because I read it in a book once. Plus, for every ';professional'; that agrees there is another ';professional'; that disagrees.
Yeah, a lot of it is just personal opinion.





There is research that shows co sleeping is good, as well as research to show its bad. Research to show vaccines are bad, as well as research to show they are good, etc, etc, etc, etc,,,,,





Not to mention, different things work for different people.





My best advice is to go to the *actual* published studies, NOT the books that are in the parenting section of the store. Learn how to read the studies and learn what the statistics mean. That way, you will have the power to evaluate the study for yourself.
There is no such thing as the ';RIGHT'; way to parent. It's ALL personal preference and opinion.....what works well for me, may or may not work well for you, so you do it your way and I do it mine. Doesn't mean either of our ways are right or wrong, they just work for us!





These ';professionals'; are just overeducated hoo-hoo's looking for an excuse to collect a paycheck....and unfortunately, there are many people out there who, rather than come to their OWN decisions and develop their OWN parenting style....they feel they need to look to and listen to someone else just because they have a half of an alphabet following their name.





I don't buy it....
A lot of it is opinion. Things such as spanking are a violation of a child's natural human rights. Things such as vaccinations have risks and benefits. Every issue is case by case.





Also like someone said before, make sure to be able to sift through opinion and an actual study. Then learn how to read the studies.
If someone told you that co-sleeping was bad, that you must vaccinate, and that you had to spank your children, would you really listen to them no matter what you thought? I think it has always been the parent's decision what to do with their children. To tell us otherwise would violate our very responsibilities as parents to do what we believe best for our children. Personally, I believe the ';professionals'; are just there to give us more options.
In order to follow professionals advice nowadays, you'd have to play ';eeny meeny miney moe'; and just choose whichever professional you happened to agree with most. No matter who you choose to listen to and what you decide to do there are always people out there that will disagree.





You have to do what you feel is best for you and your family and say ';to heck with the pro's'; once in a while.





Thanks for unblocking me! =)
I listen to all opinions from the doctors and then i form my own. I think learning about different ways to sooth, feed and care for your child is good but ultimately only the parent can decide what to do.





I think that if a parent makes a decision that is not harming the child or putting him/her in danger then that is the right choice.





i hope i didn't go too far off topic.
i agree with u,





i have so many people left right and centre saying 'oh do this, and u wait untill they do that then ull have to do this..........'





but i already know how i hope to parent, and what i will do regards, co-sleeping, feeding etc





i will obv listen to experts when my babies safey is in question... i.e should baby sleep back or front,,etc





but mostly i wil do what i think is right and i will undoubtably make mistakes. i dont see how 1 rule can be applied universally for children....as some1 else said, time out may work for some, removing privliages others but i intend to find out myself and not feel i have failed if i dnt follow 'the rules'





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I think that every family has a different situation.The advice and opinions of others is given to you and should be taken into consideration,and then you as a parent need to decide the choice that is going to best work for your family.Really as a parent you know your child better then anyone else.
It comes down to opinion, after you've educated yourself. I personally would never co-sleep because I don't feel it is the best thing for me and my family.





If the experts can't agree what is right we should all just make up our own minds. I refuse to follow blindly.
i just choose what i want. as long as my child is happy and fine and no bodly harm is done. its all good. my son slept with me for a couple of months, he is fine. my son gets his shots and is fine. and i smack my sons hands cause he really doesn't listen to a stern voice. no1 can tell you how to raise your child unless you are abusing or doing something against the law to your baby. my opinion
My children have all grown up now and flown the nest however when they were younger I as the parent always did what I personally felt was right for them. Parents have been rearing children for generations they do not need ';professional'; advice. My children were my responsibility no one Else's'
I think it's all personal preference. I take into consideration what the ';experts'; say, but at the end of the day I do what feels right with my son. Every mother has the mommy instinct and I think that says more than any expert.
I've personally felt the art of parenting should be varied and different, and decidedly not uniform. Who is so perfect that they can write something in stone and say its right for everyone? I think there's room to push on every issue
I think that it should be what the parents feel is right for there child not what some stranger with a phd thinks. They don't know your personal situation so that can't say what is right and wrong for you and your family.
It is personal opinions. Those so called experts do not know me or my children and there is no possible way for them to study every type of child to come up with a definite ';this will work method.';
IN a way yes but one must also consider that each child (and Family)are different. For some children a ';time out'; might work. for others something It might not.
some are options and some are personal experiences
Coming down? I think its always that way. And i think its like from their religious stance too..stupid.