I grew up in a home where love was shown through food. Baked goods to be exact. Luckily I got off easy. With the exception of my 14th year when I attempted to be bulimic (I could never get past the gagging part and I was scared of Ex-Lax™) and live off Slim Fast™ and Fibre Trim™ pills for the summer because I thought 165 pounds was too heavy for my 6 ft frame (all my friends weighed between 105-125 lbs so I felt like a blimp. It didn’t matter that they were all under 5′5″), I avoided any major self-deprecation issues due to my weight. How I kept from being overweight all the while stuffing my face with a never ending supply of chocolate chip cookies and honey cakes baffles me though. Maybe it was because my mom and Grandma never bought store-made baked goods so I didn’t acquire an addiction to modified corn syrup solids. Maybe it was because I only had a sweet tooth and never acquired the second more crippling salty or deep fried tooth. Maybe it was because I spent a lot of time outdoors instead of in front of the TV. Or maybe it was just due to the love that went into the food. Maybe the love that went into baking my birthday cakes, school snacks and family dinners kept me from needing to find a more fattening kind of love elsewhere. Either way, it helped make me the healthy food-loving person I am today. Albeit with a sweet tooth.
Hm. Perhaps more explanation is needed.
The women of the family, making a cake for the youngest's pending arrival
In my house, like the maternal figures who came before me, I mindfully love my children through the language of food.* Special occasions especially provide a wonderful opportunity for me to go all out. New baby on its way while I’m in labour? No problem, just pass me the flour and let’s make a welcoming cake! And what better way to show love to a new arrival but with the milk that flows from our breasts.
Hello gorgeous!
I practice on-demand, extended (or full term) breastfeeding, having breastfed my first daughter until the eve of her third birthday. I continue to breastfeed my 34 month old. I left my much loved career so I could be a stay-at-home mom and do this. As a result my daughters have never had to know what it is like to be without me (or my breasts!).
This is my act of love.
I’m raising my children vegetarian and at meal time I serve them healthy “from scratch” dishes made from mostly organic whole foods. I provide the children who come to my house for daycare each day the same foods I feed my family. I love being able to provide tasty wholesome foods, and when they clean their plate and ask for more, it fills me with delight. I also like that my daycare parents are supportive of their children being exposed to breastfeeding and learning that it is a healthy and normal way for a baby or toddler to feed.
Another way I like to share my love for food with my kids is to get them to help me in the kitchen. They help measure, pour, stir and hold the hand mixer with me. They cut the soft vegetables (like mushrooms) with a dull knife. They rip the leafy greens. They set the table. As we work we talk about the foods we are eating and where they come from. And helping really does make a difference to a child’s ability to enjoy their meal. There is a certain expression of pride on their faces that makes me so happy as they share with their daddy how much they helped make dinner.
Giving choices is an important way to further healthy eating habits too. When a child has some control over what goes into their body, this can help pave the way towards preventing future eating disorders. This is something I need to practice as much as I preach too, because being such a health nut I do have control issues over the foods my kids eat. Having a sweet tooth and thus sweet foods in the house doesn’t help.
But so far I’m happy to say my girls enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods, and the sweets they eat are homemade (except for the ice cream). Meal times are generally happy. If they don’t want to eat dinner they don’t have to, but their meal is there when they are ready. I prefer that they at least try the foods they think they won’t like (their dad disagrees), and when they do, we usually wind up with one less food to argue about. Although their dad isn’t always available at meal times us girls always eat together at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Credit: Stanley S. Ong http://www.fabnaima.blogspot.com
I believe the basis for a loving relationship with one’s self and one’s food starts with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps bond mother and child, and practicing other forms of attachment parenting alongside helps build confidence and a healthy self-esteem. And when a child feels good about himself and is positively attached to his family, I think body image issues are less likely.
Actually, it would be interesting to see if any research has been done on this. Does anyone know of any?
NP:* I don’t want anyone thinking I only show love for my children with food. They are much loved in a variety of ways. I provided a link to another post I wrote about finding one’s “love language” to help further explain.
This post is part of the 2010 API Principles of Parenting blog carnival, a series of monthly parenting blog carnivals, hosted by API Speaks. Learn more about attachment parenting by visiting the API website.
This post also is taking part in linkys at Ann Kroeker, Amy’s Finer Things, The Urban Momtographer and Momtrends.
Ann Sinnott’s Breastfeeding Older Children is a must read for all breastfeeding moms and anyone interested in the topic of breastfeeding older children. It explores the psycho-social-emotional, medical, anthropological, cultural, feminist and highly personal issues of breastfeeding. It is a portable support group, a future textbook, and it’s author, a goddess of breastfeeding wisdom.
Ms. Sinnott had the idea to write about breastfeeding older children back in 1997. Thirteen years later what she has produced is probably the most needed book on breastfeeding on the planet. (At least that I have ever read). Careful research based on the exact words and experiences of thousands of breastfeeding parents has given us an invited glimpse into the world of sustained breastfeeding. And with exposure to a phenomenon many people have no exposure to, understanding, and even enlightenment can occur.
Ann Sinnott conducted a survey targeted to known breastfeeders who were breastfeeding children aged three or older or who were breastfeeding younger children but who wanted to breastfeed long term. Responses came from 48 countries, 2040 families and 4038 children, 2877 children who had or were still breastfeeding with an age range of 2 to 11 years (with most nurslings in the 2-7 years bracket). The response rate of the survey was 41%, leaving 59% of those who were initially interested in completing the survey unaccounted for. Therefore, true numbers of older breastfeeding children would have been significantly higher. Throughout the book survey respondents are quoted heavily, alongside research further supporting their words.
Breastfeeding Older Children tackles the myths and prejudices that surround long term/full term/extended/sustained breastfeeding. Issues of sexual deviance, parental emotional stability and cultural ethics are explored. The book also discusses psychologist and medical attitudes, and it makes the connection between John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and neuroscience research findings. It presents long term breastfeeding from both a mother’s and father’s points of view as well as that of the verbal child. It looks at breastfeeding at work and in public and discusses breastfeeding as a feminist issue. It explores breastfeeding origins, the emergence of early weaning (very interesting!) and the evolution of our present breastfeeding culture through anthropological and historical lenses. At the end of the book, Ms. Sinnott takes the time to present a breakdown of the ingredients in infant formula and shed light on some very disturbing formula facts. Anyone who thinks formula is just as good as breastmilk needs to this!
There is so much information in this book I want to share with you. There is so much I have learned and been inspired by. I feel like I have found a muse. For now, what do I think about breastfeeding older children? Well, let’s just say that with science and understanding the heebeejeebees are gone. And isn’t that all most of us need?
To Buy: Breastfeeding Older Children is available on-line through Amazon and through International Specialized Book Services (ISBS).
Full disclosure: I was not paid to write this review; however, I did receive a complimentary copy of the book.
Welcome to the March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage green!
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month we’re writing about being green — both how green we were when we were young and how green our kids are today. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
Helping my dad plant his vegetable garden last year.
I always thought I made my parents the eco-minded folks that they are today because when I first became interested in environmental issues as a teenager I got everyone to start composting. Because composting was the epitome of “green” to me back then I suppose. What I failed to notice, however, was that we were already pretty green. We were already recycling, my parents and grandparents kept vegetable gardens, and we ate mostly organic produce (my mom pointed this out after reading my post about how and why I became vegetarian). I failed to piece together that keeping the house at 63 degrees (too cold by the way) was good for keeping electric bills low and thus good for our carbon footprint. Not that we knew what that was back then. I suppose that’s the world of a child though right? My daughter comes and shows me, “this is how to spell my name you know,” completely forgetting that I am the one who taught her. I say, “Oh, really? Wow! You’re right!” In her mind she thinks she just taught me something. I thought I taught my parents how to be green, but in retrospect, they taught me.
However, back then we didn’t necessarily practice green living for the same reasons we do now.
For instance, my grandparents used to have a compost bin. My grandma and grandpa used to compost lawn and garden scraps as well as veggies and fruit scraps. Then they used the compost on their vegetable garden. Maybe store-bought compost hadn’t been invented yet. I don’t know. When I got interested in the environment at age 16, my grandparents had just stopped composting because they had stopped keeping a vegetable garden. I tried to get them to start composting again, to save on wasting garbage, but their excuses were that it was a long walk to the end of the yard and since there was no garden there was no need. Plus, they weren’t aware of the environmental impact of excess garbage and I was too young and unsure to teach them. It wasn’t a widely broadcast issue in the early 1990’s. Plus, they were just starting to feel their age. Instead, I ended up getting my mom and step-dad to start composting, and to this day, although now divorced, they both still do! Now if only I had seen their willingness as a growth of their already innate values.
Another thing that was a part of my life growing up was playing outside. We didn’t get a TV until I was 5 or 6, and when we did get one we only had two channels. Since there weren’t many kid-friendly TV shows on only two channels in the early 1980’s (except the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights at 7:00 – anyone else remember watching those?) I spent most of my days outside mucking about. I climbed trees, built forts (sometimes just with my imagination as in “this looks like a good fort!”), raced and chased with my brother and friends, played “house” down at the creek, made up stories, wrote songs, put on dances and fun fairs for the neighbours, and made mud pies out of flour and dirt and baked it in the sun in an old cake tin. I also went for horse rides. My friend Jen had two horses and although I didn’t really know how to ride, the two of us would go off, unaccompanied by an adult, riding through the neighbourhood, down the logging roads, and through nearby forest. Once we even rode the horses through town and went through the drive-thru at Dairy Queen! What a hoot! We never wore helmets. I wasn’t yet in the double digits. Not that I would let my own young child not wear a helmet, as I certainly had my fair share of times being bucked off, but Jen was always there and she knew what to do. She also was not yet in her double digits. Today I am trying to instill confidence in my kids to try new things and to do things they are wary of. Not until now do I see a connection between that and what I was allowed to do as a child. For instance, I was also allowed to ride my bike 10 kms between our town and the next to visit my grandparents when I was 11.
How is all that green? Well, my interests saved on electricity because I didn’t need to be plugged in to anything to enjoy myself. I wasn’t throwing too many used and broken toys in the garbage because most of my toys consisted of trees, rocks, bushes, sticks, streams, other kids, pets, and my imagination. I even used to make some of my own toys. After I was shown how to use a hammer (age 5 – I guess I should get on that with my own 5 year old) I loved finding pieces of scrap wood and some nails in my dad or grandpa’s shop and building myself guitars (with elastic bands as strings), buildings and board games. On rainy days my mom used to give me egg cartons, small cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls and other recyclables. Armed with some glue and scissors and I would spend the day in my room creating castles, boats and small cities. To this day I’m surprised by my lack of creativity and artistic talent because I had such a great imagination as a child. I try to instill that same sense of power of creation in my girls by doing lots of art and crafts with them.
One thing my mom did that I never realized was “green” until recently, was save almost all my old toys. I am now the proud owner (again!) of a wooden rocking horse, the original Fisher Price farm, playhouse, airplane, and western town, and Fisher Price people and animals which my kids now love to play with. She even saved some of her own toys (Barbies, a crib and bassinet) which they also love. Talk about recycling through the ages! I love that my kids are playing with toys I once loved and that their Grandma once loved too! I’m nostalgic at heart too and will likely save the same toys and a few other special ones for them to pass on to their kids.
My dad used to take my brother and me on walks through the forest and on boat trips to explore small islands in the Johnston Strait. I remember one time him stopping in the forest and shushing us so we would listen to the birds. I have always poked fun at this memory but now I love to point out the same sacred kinds of moments with my kids. On the weekends my husband and I take the girls for hikes or to the beach, and even if they resist because they think they want to spend the day watching Barney videos, as soon as they get out the door we can’t get them back in. I teach them how to identify plants and what wild plants are safe to eat and which ones aren’t. I teach them about recycling, composting, saving electricity and water, and why we don’t eat meat. I have a rule in my daycare that states we do not watch TV when friends are here, which means from 7:30 – 4:30 the TV is off and the girls and other kids are forced to play the “old fashioned” way.
I wonder what my girls will be like when they grow up. Will they credit me with their environmental practices or will they think they became that way on their own? Or will “saving Mother Earth” be second nature to them because it’s what this generation is being forced to do? I wonder, but I don’t worry. Because regardless of all that I believe that raising them “green” is raising them happy. And that is the most important thing of all.
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants.
(This list will be updated March 9 with all the carnival links.)
- My Momma Was a Hippie — Jessica at This is Worthwhile is continuing her Earth Momma mother’s way of honoring nature by taking her child outside every day. (@tisworthwhile)
- Mom Did Know Best, About Diapers at Least — Guavalicious at They Are So Cute When They Are Sleeping has a dirty secret about cloth diapers: They’re easy. (@guavalicious)
- The Force that Drives the Water Through the Rocks — Shana at Tales of Minor Interest remembers her first spiritual connection with nature, granted to her through her father’s care for the spirits of the earth.
- Confessions of a Cabbage Patch Kid — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch Momma learned about landfills and recycling through gardening. (@kitchenwitch)
- Seeing My Grandmother Through Green Colored Lenses — Michelle at Seeking Mother was raised by a grandmother who wouldn’t let anyone throw out used clothing — ever — and who believed baths were water enough for two or more people at least. (@seekingmother)
- Through Green Tinted Glasses — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis realized her family didn’t so much choose green as it chose them, since not being green would have cost a lot more.
- Green or Die! — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing remembers berating her family for not turning off the faucets — and notes that her efforts to save the planet for another 20 years must have worked.
- Natural Parenting Carnival: Green Living — Sarah at Natural Parenting is doing more to make her children’s generation green than what she had as a child.
- Natural Parenting Carnival: Vintage Green — pchanner at A Mom’s Fresh Start used to fill her own water bottles from a spring — before doing so was cool. (@pchanner)
- Getting Dirty — Molly at Molly’s Place is inspired by her mother’s camaraderie with nature. She’s going to get back in touch with the real food cycle, as opposed to the “shrink-wrapped nutrition” you can buy. (@KPMolly)
- My Vintage Green Raincoat — Mama at Maman A Droit is wearing her brother’s bright green raincoat — 16 years later! (@MamanADroit)
- Vintage Green — Darcel at Mahogany Way hasn’t realized it yet, but she is slowly turning into her parents.
(@MahoganyWayMama) - Vintage Green — mrs green at littlegreenblog reminds us that children can be green simply by being kids. (@myzerowaste)
- March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage Green — Lauren at Hobo Mama was eco-chic before it was en vogue. (@Hobo_Mama)
- Growing Up Green — Chrystal at Happy Mothering honed her green instinct from an early age. (@HappyMothering)
- greener pastures — The Grumbles at Grumbles and Grunts has a list of ways she’s transitioning from green living as a novelty to green living as a lifestyle. (@thegrumbles)
- Vintage Green: The Hot Water Tank Is Not Sexy — Zoey at Good Goog had to go green when moss started growing around her feet. (@zoeyspeak)
- We Walked Softly — Starr at Earth Mama wrote a beautiful post about how her parents instilled a love of and respect for Earth and nature in her, and how she is passing that gift on to her own children.
- Save the Mermaids! — CurlyMonkey is learning from her daughter how to keep the mermaids happy. (@curlymonkey_)
- March Carnival of Natural Parenting: Vintage Green — Dionna at Code Name: Mama sees glimpses of her mother’s greenness frugality in her own life – but she draws the line at pantyhose soap. (@CodeNameMama)
- I Thought I Made Them Green, But Really They Made Me — Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! thought she made her parents green — until she took a closer look. (@bfmom)
- A Culture of Less — Alison at BluebirdMama explained why homebirth is the green childbirth choice. I love this thought! (@childbearing)
- 5 Ways to Embarrass Your Children While Going Green — Acacia at Be Present Mama shares some of the embarrassing things her parents did to her in the name of being eco-conscious.
- Ending Is Better than Mending? — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries is teaching us how to darn socks armed only with a light bulb. (@babydust)
- There and Back Again: A Green Girl’s Tale — Lactating Girl offers a gentle reminder that certain eco-conscious practices shouldn’t be “ideals,” but realities. (@LactatingGirl)
Before I became a mother, I didn’t know how long I would breastfeed. Before the birth of my first daughter I thought that I would return to work immediately following a year long maternity leave, so I guess I pictured breastfeeding until she turned one. But when she turned one I knew that we would not stop that year. Breastfeeding was very important to her, and to me. She breastfed until the eve of her third birthday.
I’m not positive I practiced child-led weaning perfectly, but I do feel good about how we did it. The process of weaning happened gently and feedings tapered off very slowly. We talked about it for the few months leading up to her birthday and she agreed that she would stop when she turned three. I was tandem nursing at the time and suddenly my oldest daughter looked very big against my breast next to her infant sister. I was also starting to feel physiologically uncomfortable nursing her – in highly medical terms I had the “heebeejeebees.” However, even after the official last nursing session, we did have a few more, when situations arose that called for it and when nothing else would do. But the days grew longer in between those “special occasion” times and soon she had forgotten had to do it.
Is she too old to breastfeed?
My second daughter enjoyed nursing as a baby, but not nearly as much as her sister did. When she was a small baby I assumed she would wean herself early – definitely by the age of two. Now as a toddler and almost a pre-schooler, she has proven me wrong. She lurves it. And since she is my last child I am not feeling rushed or “heebeejeebeeish” about needing to wean her so we will likely continue past her third birthday.
I will be a rarity among breastfeeding mothers and breastfeed a three year old. But will I breastfeed a four year old? Hm. Honestly, the thought right now of me breastfeeding a four year old makes me uncomfortable. Why? Well, I think this is as far as I can imagine because it is as far as I have been personally exposed to breastfeeding an older child. I have a couple friends who nursed their children until they turned four so it feels like it is within my realm of “normal.” Older than four I can wrap my head around a little bit, but it’s harder. I support breastfeeding older children, but for me, there is a limit to as far as I can go. I think… At least there is right now…
Is she too old to breastfeed?
While recently reading Breastfeeding Older Children by Ann Sinnott, which I will be posting a review of on March 10th, it sounds as though I am not alone.
“Many, surprised that eight year olds are breastfed will be shocked at [the] more advanced ages; and will no doubt be aghast to hear that in the industrialized world today children ages nine, ten and eleven years (and maybe older) have or are breastfeeding. Other mothers also draw up at older ages. Those breastfeeding four and five year olds look suspiciously at those feeding children aged six and older, and even those breastfeeding six, seven and eight year olds may look askance at the upper ages. It’s not surprising that sustained breastfeeding drops at four years and plummets after five. In part this reflects societal pressure but it also probably reflects under -reporting.”
Although these higher ages are completely different than what we are used to hearing about, how is this scenario much different from the mom who assumes she will breastfeed only until her baby gets teeth, or crawls, or walks or turns one or asks for it by name, and then keeps on going, realizing that her beliefs were nothing more than prejudice or cultural assumptions? Who realizes only upon having a child of her own that breastfeeding can be a mutual rewarding practice? That it isn’t sexually deviant and that she certainly isn’t emotionally unbalanced for doing so (even if other people think she is)?
But what I find most interesting about this topic is, don’t many of us have pre-conceived notions about ages that are too old to breastfeed? Don’t many of us feel uncomfortable hearing about certain ages of children being breastfed? Or maybe not hearing about, but what if we were witness to it? Whether it’s two years old or eight years old, for right or for wrong, don’t we all have a limit? Even while we ourselves are breastfeeding older babies or toddlers?
What do you think?
And don’t forget to stay tuned this week for my review of Breastfeeding Older Children.
Tags: breastfeeding older children, child-led weaning, Tandem Nursing
I have a thing for Mexican food if you haven’t recently noticed. But none of it surpasses my love for a plate of nachos and guacamole. And they don’t just have to be a pub treat you know. Especially if you’re a new mom who can’t take her little nursling out with her. Fear not! You can make the real deal at home and make them kind of nutritious too! Here’s how:
Kind-of Healthy Nachos
1/2 bag organic corn tortilla chips (or make your own non-GMO tortilla chips!)
2-3 cups organic cheddar cheese
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup black beans
1-2 tsp chili powder
Directions:
Spread half of the chips on a baking sheet. Cover with half of the cheese and veggies. Spread second half of chips over top and cover them with the rest of the cheese and veggies. Sprinkle with desired amount of chili powder. Slide baking sheet into a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted. You can microwave your nachos if you want, but I highly recommend the oven-baking method.
This is How I Make My Guacamole
3 avocados
1 Tbsp onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh lime juice
salt to taste
dash of cumin
Directions:
Mash avocados. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well.
Serve with hot nachos alongside pico de galo, salsa, and maybe even some spicy pinto beans.
Devour immediately.
This is taking part in linkys at Momtrends, Ann Kroeker, Designs by Gollum, Food Renegade, Grocery Cart Challenge and The Nourishing Gourmet.
Tags: Mexican
Last night CBC and The Discovery Health Channel aired a couple shows where moms who breastfeed were in the spotlight. For those of you who missed one or both of the shows I thought I would recap them for you. If you taped it to watch later and don’t want any spoilers then stop reading now!
First, Christine Poirier, the owner of Momzelle, a Canadian organic cotton nursing wear business, went on CBC’s Dragon’s Den to ask for $60,000 in exchange of 20% of the business she co-owns with her brother. She brought along her sister-in-law who nursed her newborn baby on national television to model the breastfeeding tops. The Dragons were impressed. They loved the baby. They supported the breastfeeding. Right there breastfeeding got some good press from millionaire media types. Then one of the Dragons gave her a horrible offer of a loan with a high interest rate that she would have needed to repay in two years. If she failed to repay it she would have had to give him 51% of the business. Thankfully she didn’t take the offer. Smart woman! And then after everyone else pulled out the last Dragon offered her $60,000 for 25% of the company. She accepted. I am so happy for her and her brother!
The best thing about her meeting with the Dragons was that they all agreed that she already has a great business. One went so far as to tell her she doesn’t need another partner because she is already doing so well. How reinforcing to hear you’re already fabulous!
It was interesting to see the ignorance of breastfeeding though. One of the Dragons didn’t think it made sense to make a top you only wear for a short period of time. I found myself shouting “I’ve been nursing for 5 1/2 years straight buddy! And some moms would wear these tops everyday! Like a nursing bra! (Shaking head). My Momzelle nursing tank top has already gotten more wear than most of my other tops and I have had it 11 months. It’s still in great condition.
It was also unfortunate that Christine got some stats wrong. She said that the WHO recommends 6 months of breastfeeding, whereas it is 6 months exclusive breastfeeding and then up to two years or beyond. Since Christine has a breastfeeding blog and provides resources for moms on her site I think the pressure of being on TV might have gotten to her because I am 99% certain she knew the right stat to quote.
One thing that I wish that had been said (or at least aired) was that Momzelle nursing tops are made from organic cotton. I think that this is what makes them stand out from the competition. This is certainly what makes them stand out for me.
Second up, the nice PR folks from the Discovery Health Channel sent me a DVD episode of Radical Parenting, which I received the day before the show aired. Read here if you want to find out how I was lucky enough to receive a DVD copy of the episode. The episode featured three families. One who practiced radical unschooling, one who practiced attachment parenting, and The Feminist Breeder’s family who practices gender neutral parenting.
I loved the attachment parenting family who practiced extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, elimination communication, babywearing, placenta saving (but not placenta eating) and one more thing. (Was it homeschooling?) The mom also led a course on EC’ing at her home. I pictured myself hanging out with this family. They seemed like they would be a lot of fun. I actually applied to be this family when The Discovery Channel was taking applications. I think my downfall was that I don’t EC. But I so would have taken the opportunity to plant a tree with my frozen placenta!
I was not terribly impressed with the radical unschooling family. I don’t like to judge because I am sure there was more than meets the eye, information not shared, etc, but I don’t think you can teach kids about nutrition if you let them eat frosted chocolate donuts for breakfast. I don’t think it’s responsible to let your kids not brush their teeth for weeks or months on end. I don’t think it’s good for a child’s developing brain to not have any semblance of structure throughout the day. But that’s just me.
I thought Gina’s segment on gender neutral parenting was the best. Hers came across as the most together and intelligent of all of the families. I loved seeing her Hyphenated Husband John wash the cloth diapers and Gina install a bathroom cabinet. Gender neutral modelling in action folks! The boys were sweet and adorable, doing all the normal things that young children do – like wearing her high heels, helping mom bake, finger painting and dressing up. Who cares if what was on offer were dresses? (They didn’t appear to put them on anyway). I have boys in my daycare who wear dresses too. Then they go and play hockey. Just saying. Anyway. The boys were the cutest – like buttons on cupcakes. I was really happy for her that they promoted her blog too.
So now you want to watch them for yourself don’t you? Well, unfortunately Discovery Health’s Radical Parenting episode is not going to available over the internet. This is straight from the PR staff member’s pen to me. But it appears you can watch Dragon’s Den if you go here.
Enjoy!
Did you watch either of these? What did you think?
March 3rd is the day to see breastfeeding on TV. There are two shows, both airing on Wednesday at 8:00, which unfortunately for people with both channels means you have to choose between them. One is on the Discovery Health Channel in the United States and the other is on the CBC in Canada.
First of all, The Discovery Health Channel has “Baby Week” starting March 1st. On March 3rd a segment called “Radical Parenting” is airing. This explores what some consider alternative parenting styles, such as extended breastfeeding, attachment parenting and gender-neutral child raising. The special features real parents talking about their parenting choices and how they have worked for them. One of these families is none other than The Feminist Breeder who, with her husband, discusses why they choose to raise their two boys gender-neutral.
Also on March 3rd, Christine from Momzelle is going to be on CBC’s Dragon’s Den (USA has a similar show called Shark Tank) to help take her organic cotton nursing wear business to the next level. What I’m really excited about is that the business owner’s sister-in-law will be breastfeeding her baby on air to model the clothing as well as to show the world that breastfeeding in public (or at least in front of 1 700 000 viewers!) is normal, natural and nothing to be ashamed of.
I’m really excited that parents who truly value breastfeeding and natural parenting are going on national television to help promote these practices. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the media on both sides of the border will depict these parents in a positive light.
****** ***
I wasn’t going to blog about this, but since Gina aka The Feminist Breeder told me I should, I will. The other day (like 4 days ago) Discovery Health sent me an email to tell me about the show. It was a letter I assume a number of breastfeeding or attachment parenting bloggers received. I wrote back telling them that I knew about the show, had applied for it, knew The Feminist Breeder was going to be on it, and that I planned to blog about it but that I didn’t have the channel so unfortunately I would not be able to watch it myself. They wrote back telling me that they would send me a copy of the episode if I wanted. I was totally stoked!
Backing up….. in January I ordered my husband’s birthday gift on Etsy. I recived notification that it was sent out on February 15th, but by February 27th it had only just left Florida. (Why do they call it “priority post” if it’s obviously not a priority to anybody?) Needless to say, today is hubby’s birthday and he received a print out of the tracking number as his gift. But this morning there is a knock on the door and the UPS man hands me a parcel. What could it be? Lo and behold it’s the DVD of the Radical Parenting episode and it doesn’t even air until tomorrow! It took two days to reach me! In the future I think I will order birthday presents from TV stations.
And no, I haven’t watched it yet. No spoilers here!
Which one will you be watching?
This post is a part of Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.
