“I was a ‘holistic mom’ (and proud of it) 17 years ago,” writes reader Sierra. “Midwife, late/no immunizations, homemade baby food, and, of course, breastfeeding. As a more mature parent now, I know that all moms want the best for their kids and strive to provide it as well as they can. Those who step out of the mainstream with dietary, medical, or schooling choices aren’t necessarily more conscious or skillful than other parents.” She goes on to say that the Holistic Mom video I showed you last week implied that nut’n’berry mamas who buck the conventional system are in some way superior. “Funny, too,” Sierra writes, “that a video that would’ve been intensely interesting to me 17 years ago seemed a bit dull now. Having children is a big part of one’s life experience, but still only PART of one’s life experience. I like being on this side of child rearing.”

Amen, Sister! There’s more to life! And while the holistic movement contains a lot of acceptance and love, there’s still too much posturing going on out there, an “I’m more holistically macho than you are” attitude that should be put out into the open as a discussion topic more. I’ve heard of women who’ve inadvertantly placed their children’s health in jeopardy for fear of using conventional medicine. And as a first-time mom, I cluelessly allowed my infant son to lose weight because I was so gung-ho-La Leche and distrustful of baby formula. Read my next item for expanded thinking along these lines. May holistic moms chart the course, but also develop ways to observe themselves so they might never tip into zealotry. Thanks, Sierra for sending us wisdom from your mountain top!