When you hear the phrase ‘modern parenting’, what do you think of? For mum Bunmi Laditan, it’s enough to send shudders reverberating through her body.
Prompted by an online shopping session for vitamins, the author and blogger took to her Facebook page this week to lament how ‘terrible’ parenting in 2016 is.
“I’d give my left kneecap to have parented in the 70s or 80s, when all you had to do to be considered a good mum is to remember to wind down the windows when you smoke in the car,” she wrote.
Despite the fact that Bunmi only owns ‘two good bras’, she revealed that she was gearing up to spend over $100 on vitamins for her children – and the very thought of it boggled her mind.
Recalling how ‘daylight was her vitamin’ when she was growing up, Bunmi wrote: “The closest thing I had to fish oils as a child was whatever the Gorton’s fisherman caught, breaded, and fried. Once, I got a Kid Cuisine with fish sticks as well, because they were on special.”
We’re probably all in agreement that we will spend whatever it takes to ensure our children are healthy and happy, but we’re sure many of you will agree with Bunmi, that some of the ‘must-have’ fads are unnecessary and extravagant.
“Nothing about modern parenting is simple, and it irritates me. I’ve seen the way some parents look at me when I give my son a juice box at the park. It’s juice – not Red Bull or margarita mix, so calm down,” she added.
Like many of us, Bunmi never received any special fish oils for her brain development, or super-expensive ‘essential’ multi-vitamins – and she is perfectly fine. So, why would her children not be, if she forgoes such supplements?
Even if she does feel strongly that her children don’t need all of these expensive products to be healthy, Bunmi is still caving to the pressure.
And why? “Because in 2016, you don’t really love your kids if you’re not a paranoid mess about their physical well-being, and willing to spend a small fortune on dye-free toothpaste made in the woods that tastes like elderberry and privilege.”
What are your thoughts?
