Common Misconceptions of Non-Vaccinating Parents

It's no secret that the 'to vaccinate or not vaccinate' debate is a hot topic today. As a non-vaccinating parent, you better believe I have been accused of some crazy things. So, I wanted to clear the air and let you look into the soul of a parent who doesn't vaccinate. This post isn't made to start a debate or even to state my reasons for not vaccinating my kids. I'm simply writing this to give new perspective. Regardless of your stance, take a moment and read these common misconceptions of a non vaccinating parent, written by one. :)

1. Non-vaccinating parents are uneducated
This one literally makes me laugh. It couldn't be further from the truth. Non vaccinating parents, most of us, have done TONS and TONS of research. We've read books, we've read articles, we've attended conferences, we've talked to our doctors, we've prayed continually. We are the opposite of uneducated.

2. Non-vaccinating parents are just trend followers
Right. This makes so much sense, because we are really going to base the health and well being of our child on the word of a celebrity. Poor Jenny McCarthy gets a whole lot of blame for the non vaccinating movement, and homegirl is just trying to spread awareness. She's not a trend setter, because choosing to not vaccinate your child is not a "trend", it's an educated decision.

3. Non-vaccinating parents are putting their children directly in harm's way
No, we aren't. We have outweighed the pros and cons. Obviously the biggest con about not vaccinating is that, according to the rest of the world, your putting your child at risk of a "deadly disease". Since when is chicken pox deadly? Mumps? Measles? These are all treatable diseases. Are they fun? Of course not! But, the media blows them up to scare the living poop out of everyone. When we decided not to vaccinate, we had a very long talk with our doctor. And then I went on a massive study learning about all the ways to treat these diseases. They are not nearly as deadly or life threatening as the media wants us to believe. The media is the real enemy here...but that's an entirely different blog post.

4. Non-vaccinating parents make this decision on a whim
Yep. We just woke up one day and decided it would be so much fun to go against the grain and be the target of hatred by every pro vaccinating person on the planet. Because it's a real treat to constantly be judged and ridiculed for your parenting choices. In a word...no. Just no.

5. Non vaccinated kids are unhealthy
I can't speak for every un-vaccinated kid, but mine are VERY healthy. We haven't had a sick visit to the doctor for either child, in nearly 2 years. In fact, my son has never had a sick visit in his life. They eat healthy super foods, we use essential oils and vitamins to build their immune system, and they are rarely sick. Most parents who choose not to vaccinate, live a very crunchy and clean lifestyle...which often results in very healthy children.

The bottom line...


Ya'll...we all start this road of parenting with the same amount of experience. Babies don't come with instructions. Some choices are harder than others, but we are all just trying to make the best choices we can for our kids. Our decisions as parents aren't cookie cutter decisions. Other parents may have reasons for doing something that I don't decide for my own children, but that doesn't make either of us wrong. Shaming parents for their choices is so destructive. We all know how hard it is being a parent. Why don't we shelf the judgement and give each other the kudos we deserve for doing the best we can. Peace and Love. <3