Us and Them

I wrote this poem some time ago and want to share it with you today. I have been a bit hesitant about publishing it as I have so many supportive people in my life and I don’t want it to sound like the poem is about them as it isn’t. It refers to the sniping on the public forums and those who openly judge choices that other parents make and maybe try and make them feel bad about those choices.

Today I give you

Us and Them

The us and them factor
Is sadly nothing new

The mums who don’t work
And the mums who do

The mums who, when weaning
Like to spoon feed

The mums who feel that baby led
Is what babies need

The mums whose babies sleep through
The mums whose babies don’t

The mums who”ll give their baby a dummy
And the mums who won’t

The mums who give the bottle
The mums who give the breast

The mums who want to do it all
The mums who just want rest

Why does there have to be
Such a divide?

Why can’t we support each other
Whatever we decide?

It is inevitable that on many matters
We will all hold different views

But we all want the best for our little ones
Whichever path we choose

Jen Elvy

I was inspired to post this recently when I heard on social media of an actress who was shamed for having a date night with her hubby, despite the fact that she left the baby with close family.  And I’ve seen some sniping on recent forums about choices connected with baby sleep.  We all do what is best for our children and we all know our own children too.  What works for one baby may not work for another and that often applies to children with the same parents too.

Here’s to supporting other parents and being there for them when they need guidance.

Jen xxx