Lets talk about Mommy blogs

The worst thing to hit the internet in a long time.
Also one of the best for other moms.

"but Kirsten, this is a mommy blog"... well no not really. I don't dispense advice, or monetize my blog (although I've considered it, not gonna lie), I don't post cute craft ideas, or stupid pseudoscience ideas with no logical backing to them. Although I'd love to be like Scarrymommy or some of those blogs that write humor, I'm just not that funny on a regular basis. Don't get me wrong, I have my moments of gold, but its usually in the car or in bed with David rolling his eyes at me while I laugh until I can't breathe. Surprisingly, this doesn't transfer to a blog very well.

Mommy blogs... for some reason they have a lot of really bad advice. Probably because a lot of moms have a lot of really bad advice. But through the power of the internet, these horrible or unsafe ideas are able to travel farther and wider than ever before. Oh, you need examples?

Yesterday, a mommy was looking for an "all natural sunscreen with no chemicals". Okay... well lets break this down. 

"All natural" sunscreen doesn't actually have any definition by governing standards. Technically they can put "All natural" on a bottle of anything and sell it. Seriously- it's not like "organic" which has federal standards. "All natural" sunscreen has also failed test after test when put to the test against other sunscreens. They don't work as well, which puts you at risk for burning. I will concede that we are finding some possible problems with some of the synthetics used in current sunscreen, including possible hormonal problems. I understand that this is worrisome. I'm more worried about something that is "all natural" that was able to slip past FDA guidelines, with no guarantee of its ingredients and what their effects might be. 

"Chemicals" I hate come to absolutely hate this term. Let's look to the dictionary for a quick definition to get us started, shall we? " of, relating to, used in, or produced by chemistry" Thanks, Miriam-Webster! Chemicals are literally everything.... Our bodies are made of thousands of chemicals, our food, water! Di-hydrogen monoxide! You'd die without this chemical compound! You can also die because of it. Chemicals are not inherently bad, sure it sounds scary, because chemistry is scary... failed it twice, its terrifying. That said, this huge push back against "chemicals" is ridiculous and anti-progress. Without "chemicals" we'd all be dying off at a young age still, we'd most likely be starving and have no clean water. We've reached a point in human history where all our progress now scares us. We shouldn't be scared, we should be cautious and optimistic. Yes, mistakes happen, we find out that certain chemicals are bad for us- there's just as many things in nature that are bad for us too! Arsenic, anyone?

How about the anti-vaccine insanity? Mommy blogs continue to perpetuate this anti-science, anti-logic thought process over a study that has been proven wrong over and over. Unfortunately much like tooth paste, once its out it can't be put back! Vaccines are so important to public health, and choosing not to vaccinate you or your child for any reason other than "I'm allergic to eggs" or other actual valid medical reason is absurd. Vaccines don't just protect you, they protect those who can't be vaccinated for legitimate reasons. It's okay to be scared, sometimes things go wrong, but those chances are so tiny that its ridiculous to use them as an excuse. On top of that, can we talk about how incredibly messed up it is that parents out there are saying, "I'd rather my child be dead, than have autism". No parent wants their child to suffer from autism, but I'd rather my child have autism than be killed by a completely preventable illness. 

The variety of anti-science, anti-logic mommy blogs out there is almost painful. Attempting to search anything with medical validity is made difficult by having to sift through a million different blogs that have the same credentials, "mom". These credentials hold up for crafts, mom to mom talk, some behavioral questions. Doesn't hold up for anything that has to do with medicine or science- for that I want at least a bachelor's degree in the field, if not a PhD or MD for outrageous claims. I want studies backing everything you claim. 

I have high standards for information, I wish everyone did.