Holistic-ish

March was a milestone month. I officially turned "mid-thirties"...35 to be exact. And in March I made a commitment to myself. I decided I was going to eat healthier and so was my family. This decision then transformed into a bit of a lifestyle. When I first began this journey, I began ranting to my friends about this new experience, excited at the novelty of it all. It was like that adrenaline rush you feel when you embark on a first. A first date. A first time driving. The butterflies that tickle your tummy when you think of all the best possibilities. Hope. She responded, "Oh, you want to be a holistic parent. I can help you."

"Holistic?" I thought. "What does that mean exactly?" And so began my quest to understand what this meant and how I could incorporate it into my life. My family's life.

Initially I began my search for a healthier lifestyle by focusing on nutrition. It was important to me that we incorporated a lot more fruits and vegetables into our diet and began eliminating foods that contained chemicals, preservatives and additives. I remember the first day I walked in the door with a gallon of organic whole milk. Hubby glanced at my hand holding the milk, then stared at me, then back again at the milk. With a twist of his chin, an eyebrow raised and his Brooklyn accent stated, "Why are you spending more money on organic?" My sales training kicked in and I proceeded with my pitch.

Start with the dilemma. Do you really want to give our one year old princess potential hormones and pesticides? Not to mention the questionable farming practices of regular milk. I don't even want to go there.

Potential solution. Let's take baby steps. We'll just start with organic whole milk for Mia, then if we want we can slowly transition our milk.

Sold. We climbed the tiny hill. Then questions starting popping up regarding produce, meat, cleaning supplies, and healthcare. You name it, I started questioning it. Let me clarify. I did not begin throwing out all of our canned foods or processed foods. Nor did I completely stop consuming foods that were not deemed organic. I simply began questioning.

I've come to realize, this is the core of holistic parenting. It is not going with the status quo. It is questioning. It is trying to make the best decisions for your family based on your family's needs. It is being sensitive to the individuality of each member of your family and being sensitive to our impact to each other and to those around us, including the environment. Even if its just a bit more so. Holistic-ish.

Holistic Moms Network writer Jessica Haney describes it as this,

"At its foundation, holistic parenting is about making intentional choices. Holistic parents seek information. Where other folks shrug off chemicals in food or toys with 'Well, I used that or ate with that, and I turned out okay,' holistic parents know the score. They understand that a lot of us have health issues as adults that maybe could have been prevented. They care, so they look into it."

And so for me, holistic parenting has become an educational journey. A process of asking questions, researching and deciding what works for me and for my family. A process of understanding what may be right for our family may not be right for another. And vice versa. It is not about being perfect. It is not about being exclusive. It is about finding direction and in turn directing my children. It is with this that I have become holistic-ish. And it is with this that my family will continue our holistic-ish journey.

For more information about the Holistic Moms Network, visit holisticmoms.org.