Momservation: Being a parent means teaching your children to be independent when all you really want to do is never let them go.
☺ ☺ ☺
*Sigh*
Where do we begin with this Time magazine cover?
How about: Really? Really?
Really, Time mag?
You really went there to boost magazine sales? In a country that is already divisive enough down partisan political lines this election year, you thought we needed to pit mothers against each other now over the always hot-button topic of how long to breast feed? Didn’t anyone teach you that you don’t talk politics, religion or parenting philosophies with friends?
Really, Time mag managing editor, Richard Stengel? Of all the amazing, wonderful, empowering, inspiring, progressive things women are doing in this country, in this world, THIS is what you focus on? Forget the provocative cover – you dare ask the provocative question: are we mom enough? Come over here so I can slap some stupid out of you.
Really, Martin Schoeller, photographer of this cover? This intentionally provocative cover shows your bias, so don’t try to pretend it was simply illustrating your goal of “capturing various attached parents — and their reasons for attachment parenting.” This cover photo doesn’t accurately represent the true focus of the article on the 20th anniversary of Dr. Sears’ THE BABY BOOK. You went for shock value and you got it. Aren’t you just the edgy photographic artist.
Really, Jamie Lynne Grumet, mom on the cover? For someone who is willing to go the distance in the name of doing what’s best for their child, did you stop for a moment and think what the repercussions of this photo will do to your child in the long run? That he will grow up always being that kid on the controversial Time magazine cover? That he will one day be aware and possibly mortified to have not had a choice to be a part of this maelstrom?
Really Kate Pickert, author of this article, Meet the Man Who Remade Motherhood? I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that your editors came up with the front cover title. Otherwise, how dare you taint your journalistic integrity by turning a spotlight feature on attachment parenting into a grenade lobbed at women’s most sensitive insecurity of being a good enough mother. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’re not a mother. Because if you were, your Time magazine bio would proudly say so and you would’ve fought your editors over that ridiculous inflammatory challenge directed at mothers everywhere.
Really, Dr. William Sears, author of THE BABY BOOK, espousing attachment parenting? When you’ve gestated a baby for nearly 10 months, had it painfully pushed out or cut out of you, and then bore the brunt of society’s expectations for perfectly raising the next generation of great human beings, give us women a call. Until then, don’t tell me how to raise my kid.
The bottom line is, as much as Time magazine wants me to, I’m not going to jump into the fray and judge attachment parenting. I’m not going to debate how long women should breast feed, or if children should sleep with their parents, or if a child centric society is healthy.
All that is important to me, and I would hope all parents, is that you choose to do what you do for children out of a place of love and wanting raise them as happy, healthy, promising individuals.
If that means breastfeeding your child until they walk up to you and say, “Hey, Mom, can I have a sip off the ol’ teet, please?” than that is your prerogative.
And what I ask in return is that you don’t judge me as a parent.
I’m not perfect. I may not always be doing it right. But I’m enjoying the journey and I believe my kids are too.
At night, besides praying to God to give me the wisdom, perspective and absence of temptation to judge others, I also pray, “Please, Lord, let me do more good than harm.” And, “Let me be a better person tomorrow than I was today.”
I think the editors at Time should maybe give those prayers a try tonight…