Soul Pancake Bites: #2- Overreacting

When is the last time you overreacted? Was it worth it?

Me being me, I tend to get all up in arms first and think about it later, especially if it is a topic that I am passionate about. Things like birthing, breastfeeding, homeschooling, vaccinating, gentle parenting, arts education, animal welfare, Spanx... these are all things that I will get on a soap box about. 

Yesterday I was confronted about one of my personal beliefs and actually tried really to be diplomatic and informational instead of confrontational. I posted an article about Radical Unschooling on my facebook page about how there are some serious drawbacks to demanding blind obedience from our children. Right away 2 people who I was "friends" with said that you need to make kids be obedient or else they will run wild, etc.... I wrote back and explained that this is a completely different school of thought and is the exact opposite of being neglectful or not parenting. Well... it was like talking to a brick wall (or 2). Right away I was told that this was nonsense, it couldn't possibly work, and that basically you have to show kids you are the boss. 

So I had 2 choices: Write yet another response and hope that maybe there would be a crack in the wall or just let it go because some people don't want to learn, they want to prove that they are RIGHT. Well.... I not only didn't respond to the posts but I also deleted them as friends. And then I took it a step even further and posted this on my page: 

ok friends, here is where some of us have to part ways. This is my space and I don't really feel like I should have to censor my beliefs on parenting, religion, etc. You are more than welcome to read my posts or ignore them, be curious, ask questions. But if you obviously don't agree with something, that is fine, don't read it. I am not going to try to convince you otherwise but I am not going to have a debate to defend my beliefs. I will gladly share my research and answer questions though!

Yes, it was my temper coming out because I then went on a mass deletion spree and took off all the people who cause me to censor my articles, thoughts, etc. Surely, I overreacted to 2 people arguing with me about an article- I could have just said nothing and gone about my merry way. But, what about the next article that I found about gentle parenting? Or the one connecting the Hep B vaccine to SIDS? Why should I have to hide the research I am doing because there are some who are too close minded to consider, even for a moment, that there is another way to do things than how we were brought up?

I fully realize that sometimes I would be better served to think first and then act accordingly, after I think things through. But at least in this instance I feel a little lighter in that I don't have to carry false friendships where people are just bringing me down. Definitely overreacted but well worth it!