Am I A Quirky Parent?

I didn’t think so…but if pursuing a healthy lifestyle for my family is worthy of being called “quirky”, I guess I am.

I got to thinking about this after reading Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s recent online interview with writer, cancer survivor, and mother of two young children, Amanda Enayati who has written about pursuing a healthy life for her family by cutting excessive sugars, bad fats, dyes, preservatives and pesticides from their diet and reducing her household’s “toxic burden.” Ms. Enayati thinks other might consider her quirky, eccentric, and even annoying. But she's okay with that, too.

Like Ms. Enayati, I’m willing to be considered “different” in the name of pursuing a healthy lifestyle for my family—especially when it comes to my young daughter. It’s so important today to use what we know. And we know so much more today.

In my parent’s generation, they didn’t have access to the information we do today. We know more, and have access to more, and that enables us to make positive changes in our lives—and change is good! I appreciate that I live in this “information” era and can make informed decisions when it comes to pursuing a healthy lifestyle and being a good parent.

But there’s another aspect of having access to all this information: sometimes it’s just too much information. Which is why I try hard to rely on my common sense. While learning the pros and cons, the tried and true, the false and fake, the insightful and the idiotic, the sheer volume of all that information serves as an important reminder that I need use my common sense. That’s a good thing for all of us to remember since we’re the ones who decide what works best for our families and children—quirky or not.

Common sense is also an important component of Maren Green Publishing and the award-winning books we publish. Why? Because it works. And because it’s good for young children. Our common sense approach supports and expands children’s understanding of their life experiences in positive, affirming, fun, and educational ways. With our books you can be help make sure the children you know grow up happy, confident, and healthy—physically and emotionally.

Do you think it’s okay to be a quirky parent, too? Do you think common sense is an important factor in today’s “information” era?

Let us know what you think and win a FREE book to share with a young child in your life. Simply leave a comment with your email address and we’ll enter you in a drawing for a FREE Maren Green book of your choice. Winner will be randomly drawn from entries and notified March 15, 2011.

Thanks for reading!