aag

Personally I think people get caught in the trap of thinking thier way of thinking is the BEST way and everyone should be taught to agree with it.

Religeons are especially great at this. Political views usually don’t inspire people to commit unspeakable crimes against thier fellow man in thier name but they run a solid second place.

I suppose parents can have the illusion that they WILL have thier child think a certain way, but quite frequently most people can and do figure out what works best for them down the road.

Are you right or is the other side right in thier thinking? I don’t know. If the mother in question has a probem with thier child being exposed to different ways of looking at things I would say they need to look into home-schooling. But me I’ve always thought sending our children out into the world to a school in order to interact with people who think differently is to try to teach them to think for themselves.

I think you should be more worried about what your children are hearing in their mother’s van.

I understand why this could be a little bit of a dilemma for you. When I was a child, my neighbor took it upon herself to discipline me while I was at her house playing with her daughter, and my mother felt that she had overstepped her bounds and we actually stopped being friends with them over it.

It is a fine line to walk. You want to teach your kids your values, and you would hate those children to grow up around ignorance (and plus, who knows what they will hear at school!), but at the end of the day they aren’t your children.

I don’t think you were out of line, though. You just said that there were places that girls can marry girls and boys can marry boys, and this is true. California and Massachusetts. So, you were more just stating fact than anything else.

Your carpool may end. But if that keeps your kids sane, you’ll be glad. Someday. After the pain of finding a sensible carpool.

I’m so tired of hate. I’m living in the bible belt right now, not entirely of my choice. This place is as close to hell on Earth as anyone can imagine. People here complain about our society’s greed and in the same breath voice their desire for 7-8 kids because it feels so great. Women cheer for Palin. These folks want to give up not only their own freedom but OTHER PEOPLES’ FREEDOM. sigh. And they like it. And it’s only right, according to them, because some English translation of an ancient text scribed by human hands (regardless of any other origin) has one or two words saying so.

sigh. I can’t even imagine having children around here.

AAG’s gonna be in trouble… ;)

Tought spot, but I wonder if the other parent would have put her two cents in too.

In your defense, you merely pointed out facts, you didn’t offer any opinion so I think you’ll be fine.

i think you were absolutely right to say what you did, and i thank you for it. i don’t think it’s ever wrong to express an opinion in favor of tolerance, acceptance, and love. and given the roughly one-in-ten chance that the other mom’s child will grow up to BE gay… having heard such a message from you might well be more meaningful than you realize.

Around here, my kids always have at least one classmate with gay parents, so this is thankfully one of the few things we don’t need to debate amongst other parents.

I think it’s fine for you to say what you did and personally, I don’t mind when my kids hear conservative crap from other people either. In fact, I like for them to hear different viewpoints. The truth always wins in those situations, so I know my kids will always come around to MY way of thinking! ;)

Keeping on the middle path approach is better than following a black and white (I know the truth, the only way) approach.

We have acquaintances with families that have “signs in the yard”. Your open nurturing ways will bear fruit. Your car pool family will stop the car pooling before you do.

Love one another? You’ll see it soon from them that that is not the case with them.

If only every child in the world could be in your carpool AAG, I think the world would grow to be a better place.

Not many parents can argue with “we shouldn’t make fun of those different from ourselves” regardless of their beliefs. I think it’s a fair thing to say. If it were I though, I would try to keep it in neutral territory with the children of others. (I have to do that a lot as a nanny/sitter).

Dan Savage did a brilliant podcast a couple of months back about talking to his son about wanting to marry his boyfriend. Check it out, it’s quality queer parenting, full of insights into how children see the world, and it made me smile.

I wanted to cheer for you, right out loud. There is enough hate and prejudice in this world. If the people I find myself surrounded with want to believe that and teach it, then they are absolutely no one I want to be around.

From the very beginning I made sure that my girls undestood that love is love is love. Whether it’s two men, two woman, or a hetero couple involved with others. As their mother it is my job to guide them, to give them as many facts as I possibly can, and see to it that the mistakes my parents made aren;t repeated.

So, right on, AAG…and carpools be damned.