There's no wrong way to mother your child.

Perhaps you've perused the Blogopshere lately and noticed there are lots of "mommy blogs" out there. Moms that work, moms that stay home; moms that are conservative, moms that are liberal; moms that are "crunchy" and moms that are ... not.

Mostly, a lot of these moms like to make blog posts about how they mother their children and why it's the best way. I've never felt inclined to write a post like this before; I kind of feel like one's parenting style is personal and can't be categorized. And sometimes, the "right" answer for one mom might be the wrong answer for another. That's just how it is, I say.

I try not to care, but I must be honest. These preachy posts ruffle my feathers a little. Maybe they ruffle yours, too.

Here are some of the sentiments I've come across recently. They're not direct quotes, but they are real nonetheless:

C-sections are terrible, evil, money-sucking ventures which deprive a mother and baby from the healthy bond that occurs after a normal, vaginal birth.

Delivering a baby at home is the most irresponsible thing a mother could possibly do.

Breastfeeding is the only proper way to feed a child. If you don't breastfeed, you must not really love your baby.

Breastfeeding is a waste of time and only spoils babies. Formula is a wonderful modern invention, so you might as well use it!

If your kid sleeps in a crib, you are a terrible mother. Why won't you let your baby snuggle with you in your bed, you soulless monster?

If your kid sleeps in the bed with you, he's never going to learn to be independent. Plus, your sex life is probably rotten.

Staying at home is the best way to raise a child. Day care is pure evil. And working moms are so selfish!

If you don't go to work, you're going to turn into a brainless zombie. You're not doing anything to encourage women's rights, slaving away all day. You're basically just a nanny.

And so forth.

Did any of those tick you off? Probably. But, that's what some of the other moms out there are saying. True story.

I have a theory as to why women say these types of things. We're competitive. We always say men are the competitive ones, having arm-wrestling matches all the time and talking about their "sweet rides" and such. But we're just as bad when it comes to mothering. We like to be the ones with all the right answers. It's like this: My baby is happy and I am happy. So, I must have done something right, and I want to share my success story with the whole world!

Yes, you did do something right. You did what was right -- for you. But ... it might not work for other moms. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you about all the mothering choices I made. Why? It's pointless. I'm not you and my baby isn't your baby. You've all got your own babies (or you will have your own babies someday). And when they're born, they don't come with instructions. They are basically darling little devices which cry at random intervals, and it's your job to stop the crying through various means. And you know what? You figure it out. You guess and check. You cut different wires until the bomb stops ticking. And the best part is, there's no wrong way to do it! As long as your baby is healthy and happy, you've done your job.

So, ladies ... don't worry about how other moms are doing the "mom thing." Motherhood is a journey. We're all on different paths, with different maps and different passengers in our minivans. And it's OK.

I challenge you moms out there not to criticize others for doing things differently than you did/do/plan to do. We mommas got to stick together! No more nitpicking and preaching. Just support each other! Motherhood doesn't need to be a battle of ideologies. We're all going to the same place, just by different routes.