So, what do you all think about this?
Be nice please, everyone is going to have their opinions.
We want to know what you think of the cover of this Time Magazine.
They sure did get our attention, didn’t they?
Our thoughts?
Well this is tricky. While I think it’s great that the child is getting the benefits of breast milk, I also have reservations about him getting it straight from the tap. Not only will he get made fun of if his peers see him (he is old enough for school you know) but I’m wondering if this could hurt with developing independence. (Please remember these are only my thoughts and opinions that I have formed from the photo–nothing I’m stating here is proven or backed up.) My thought is that children need to learn independence (feeding, dressing and doing things for themselves).
Now, with that said, do I think it’s ok that he is still getting breast milk at this age?
Yes, I think that is ok.
However, being that he is old enough to go to school (and certainly old enough to drink from a cup) I would have to wonder why he isn’t getting the milk from a cup. (Again, my thoughts only.)
So, do you have the same thoughts as me, or do you see things entirely differently?
HA! “Straight from the tap” that literally made me LOL 😉 I personally didn’t practice it, but I have no issues with extended breastfeeding because of the benefits of breastmilk, but the image they used is terrible. It’s not a nurturing or sweet photo at all, the kid looks like he’s doing something he doesn’t think he should be and the mom looks kinda ticked off. Personally, I don’t know anyone who has breastfed their kid while he/she is standing on a chair. It’s just weird! Maybe the mom can’t pump or figures as long as he can get it that way, why bother. I don’t know. I wasn’t able to read the article, and honestly I’m not interested. My milk dried up before either of my kids reached 6 months and I’m really sick of being made to feel like an inferior mother because of it. Why read an article that will probably make me feel terrible?
I’m just tired of the Mommy Wars…sadly, I know it will probably never end :-/
I have to be honest…I haven’t seen the actual article to this. I have only seen the video that I have linked to in this post as well as the front cover of the magazine. The video doesn’t really talk about the cover much, but more about Dr.Sears and attachment parenting. You are right though, sadly there will always be Mommy Wars. As long as what you are doing for your child feels right in your heart then you should never worry about what another Mother thinks. Many mothers feel that their way is the right way, but there really isn’t a right way, is there? All children are different and they all need to be cared for and treated differently. Best of luck to you, and we think you are great for giving it that 6 months that you did! 🙂 (Not that you would have been any less great had you not nursed. 😉
I can see your point I kind of wondered why she wasn’t pumping too. That said the boy is only 3 so I don’t think it’s a big deal that he’s getting it from the “tap”. I don’t think that however long a child breast feeds has anything to do with independence though; any child I have heard about nursing this long has a good sense of independence and actually only nurses once a day to once every few days. It seems to me to be more of a sense of comfort for them than anything else and we don’t stop comforting our children just because they turn a certain age, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. In the 18 hundreds the mothers used to nurse the baby and then let the older kids nurse too so she could keep from being engorged. JMO
I nursed all 4 of my kids and nursing my last one up until 18 months old was actually weird for me. I couldn’t wait to get him weaned. LOL But that is just me. I understand the benefits of extended breastfeeding but I won’t lie. I get weirded out when I see 3 and 4 year olds getting it “straight from the tap.” I don’t understand the purpose actually. I think at that age they should be drinking from a cup as well and don’t really understand the logic of continuing to breastfeed. At that point I think it’s time to pump if you want your child to continue receiving your milk.
I am so pro breast feeding it’s unbelievable, as a matter of fact my daughter is now breast feeding my third grandchild. I’m so proud of her. When a child is able to get nourishment from table food I no longer think it’s necessary to breast feed. The age of this child indicates he is old enough to be feeding himself at the table. If this Mom deems this needs to continue at this age, put it in a cup & let him drink it. Moms have fought so long & so hard to get small minded/closed minded people to accept breast feeding as a “normal” and healthy option for our babies. This magazine managed to wipe this out with one cover! There we are now right back to the starting line.