On vaccinations….
I wasn’t going to wade into the vaccination debate, but I’m getting sick of the ongoing war on social media between pro-vacc and anti-vacc mums, and I have to ask…..
When did we get so mean?
I just want to put every single one of you who post these ‘articles’ (both for and against) into a big Mummy time-out. Why do you think it’s ok to call people ‘ignorant’ or ‘stupid’ because of their choices?
My children were having a debate in the back of the car the other day about evolution vs creation (entirely led by them, and yes, I possibly do have the strangest children in the world.) There were two definite camps taking place in the backseat, with each party vigorously defending their position and belief, and not once did anyone call anyone else names. (And this is no mean feat considering they are aged 4, 5 and 6, so at the age when throwing a quick ‘poo-head’ or ‘dumb-bum’ is a sure-fire way to escalate an argument…or end it by rendering the opposition incoherent with tears at the unjustness of the slander) They are CHILDREN and they are already behaving better than many of the mums I’ve seen on social media ‘debating’ vaccinations. We ended their discussion by following up with a talk about how people have many different opinions, and even if we don’t agree with their belief we must respect their right to have that belief. They get this – it’s not a difficult concept for them. Why are so many adults struggling with that same idea?
For the record, I am pro-vaccination. My children have received all their vaccination on the immunisation schedule on time and in full. In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that my dog is late for her annual vaccinations, but I’ll probably have that remedied by the time I publish this blog.
My problem isn’t whether or not you should vaccinate your children. Read that again. My problem isn’t whether or not YOU should vaccinate YOUR children. They are YOUR children. We’ve made our choice for our family, based on what WE believe to be the best decision for us. What you decide for your family is exactly that…your choice.
My problem is that there are so many grown women out there reduced to name calling and downright meanness over what boils down to a personal choice. And that’s not ok. I get that you are passionately pro-vaccination, or passionately anti-vaccination, but can we just grow up a little bit please? Make your choice, be happy in your decision and get on with your lives. If someone has chosen a different path than you, don’t see it as a threat to your belief or an insult to your choice, just be glad that we live in a world where we have the luxury to choose.