Parenting: The Ultimate Creative Expression?

Attachment parenting is the concept behind the anti-nursery attitudes, baby slings and pre-school breastfeeding that commonly infiltrates the mothering gene in modern society. In addition to an increasing number of home birthed and home schooled children, many mothers are creating a reputation for the notion of teaching their children through ‘doing’ rather than watching others. This is the age of the creative parent – in other words, parents using child care as the ultimate form of creative expression.

As women began rebelling against the traditional roles of being a mother in the 1970’s, the elements of parenting also shifted. Moving away from the ‘one size fits all’ type of parenting, mothers looked to create a more unique relationship with their child – this involved opting for home schooling over the normal public or private schooling, the concept of breastfeeding far later on in life rather than just in the early infant stages, and opting for organic and home-made baby food over the prepared products once used.

There’s a level of competition amongst mothers who opt for this way of child-rearing – it is expected that one will educate themselves on the best practices and choose the way which best suits their family. While this has always been the case for generations before us to a certain extent, this way of thinking is known to breed anxiety as well. It begs the question – is it for the best, or has tradition really served us so badly that we ought to abandon it altogether? There is a culture for extreme individualism which plays host to creativity and independence, which encourages the idea that parenting is the ultimate way to step aside from years of child-rearing practices and create your own niche. But at what stage does valuing individuality overtake the best situation for your child?