Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/370696
hvparent.com ■ Hudson Valley Parent 15 This just goes to show that even though we make different choic- es for our families, we can still be friends and even respect each other's personal choices. Without the different opinions and choices presented by other moms in my circle, I wouldn't know I have options in my parenting. How did this start? I admit I am still a little confused as to why we even have a war going on. My own mom world does not come to a screeching halt when a mom decides to feed her kid formu- la or non-organic potatoes or even McDonald's for dinner. I don't even feel a slight shift in the wind when a mom uses 409 to clean her fl oors. And, I'm quite sure that if a mom falls at the playground and no one is around to hear her, she still swears like a trucker (oh wait, that's probably just me). Shared experience I am convinced that not once has a Harvard grad mentioned in their acceptance speech their gratitude for their mother keeping a meticu- lous house; making perfect dinners and throwing over-the-top birthday parties; nor cited those exact reasons for all their success. I am also convinced that if at the end of the day you have kept your kid safe and alive, you've pretty much done your job. We all bear the same burden of motherhood. By burden I mean the labels (fun mom, mean mom, Pinterest mom) and the judgments (spoils her child, doesn't discipline, too strict). No matter what our style of moth- ering is, we have all run the same course: stomach bugs, sleepless nights and feelings of self-doubt. All of these quintessential mom moments level the battlefi eld on which we fi ght our "mommy wars." None of us is free from fl aws, and certainly none of us makes perfect decisions. We all have the same end goal — to raise healthy, happy and productive humans. Does it really matter what path we follow to get them there? Call to arms So here's your call to arms, What- ever Moms: Do whatever it takes to let go of your fears and worries that you are not enough. Take up the charge to own your mom choices. Decide right now to be confi dent in your decisions, because any decision we make in the best interest of our children is the best decision we can make for them. The question isn't, "Which side are you on?" The ques- tion is, "Can we all stand together?" Roxanne Ferber lives in Sauger- ties and is a stay-at-home mom to twin 3-year-old girls. "It truly takes a village to raise a child, and that village must be a supportive one. Hopefully seeing that we're all moms, no matter our di erences, will make our commu- nity of moms — our village — stronger. Dawn Green, Saugerties Contributors: Sarah Coppola Gloria Darmanin Gizella DiVenere Roxanne Ferber Liz Fernandez Dawn Green Heather Johnston Diane Lammers Liz Lanoy Tenaya Maestri Eileen Gumbel Wendy Palmer Gizella Papanicolaou Nikki Rogers Amanda Rushkoski Jenna Seeley Danielle Sidarous Jenna Slade Amy Sullivan Katy Weber