Women lost her children bc of AP ways

[Carla]

Very alarming, yet encouraging article in Detroit Free Press on Sunday.

A group of women are trying to bring "spiritual parenting", very much like AP, into the mainstream. One of the women involved actually lost her children because of her parenting style (homeschool, didn't vaccinate, extended breastfeeding etc.). She appealed and recently lost again. She sees her kids 3 days week now.

Check it out if you are interested, especially if you live in the area. It looks like it is worth supporting. www.freep.com ,go back to Sunday, then click link in sidebar named "Children First".

[Foobar]

This was an interesting article. I think the key is that the woman and her husband disagreed with the parenting. I can see a reasonable case to award custody to the father if he feels the parenting of the mother is not in the best interest of the children.

They are his kids too and he is trying to raise them to his beliefs.

[Carla]

They certainly are his children just as much as hers. What saddens me is that the courts felt the necessary action was to remove the children from their mother. Does that seem cruel and unusual?!!

Speaking from much divorce experience, there are lots of court appointed "compromises" the courts could have inflicted on her without actually separating them. To me, that only hurts the children, and aren't they what should have been the first priority? It also relays to society that this parenting style is endangering and abusive when there is much information to the contrary.

The specifics of the case weren't given, so maybe the kids are better off. Regardless, it's great these women are getting different beliefs some attention. I'm a little more mainstream than most AP moms but I still get weird looks from my family and friends because I breastfeed until 1 year, feed my kids only natural foods and I wait to vaccinate and then only some. I wish there was more support for these very personal decisions and that will only come from people being more knowledgable about them.

[tabitha]

i am glad that i got to know my partner well before we had our ds. parenting issues are really important- meaning, i think they're something you wanna explore with a potential partner before you get pregnant. karl supports my AP beliefs solidly. and, if by some chance, i had found out too late that he co-wrote babywise or some similar evil, i would leave him, without any frills or upset. ds and i would get lost.

interestingly enough, karls parents were aghast at our methods and did offer to help karl raise ds should he leave me and get custody! what a bunch 'o' kooks.

[Irishmommy]

I haven't read the article, but dh and I were on the same page parenting wise when we first got married. I am now a few chapters ahead. Admittedly, we still agree on the basics - no spanking, respect, etc., but a lot of stuff I have changed on. And I never did anything "wrong" ap wise before (no cio, etc.).

[oatmeal]

These are the times when I thank the good lord that I am single and don't have to worry about some controlling man destroying my bond with my child.

[Piglet68]

sadly, there are going to be times when parents disagree on the way to raise their children to the point where divorce and custody becomes an issue. when that happens, I think in every possible case that children should be with their mothers. unless there is real abuse on the mother's part, but I didn't see that here at all. IMO, mothers and fathers are not equals when it boils down to it (ie. all other things being equal) and this is reflected all around us in Nature.

the fact that the courts considered cosleeping and extended breastfeeding to be "damaging" to the children angers me and quite frankly, is downright scary. this is a decision based on cultural perceptions of what constitutes the "right" way to parent, not at all on scientific evidence. in another country this woman's parenting would be considered perfectly normal and healthy. this decision should outrage any parent.

i'm very sad for this woman. I thought the article portrayed "spiritual parenting" (which is basically AP from what I can see, with anti-TV and consumerism thrown in as well) in a good light and made it sound tragic that this is what cost a woman her children.

[CerridwenLorelei]

link to work :(