Time breastfeeding cover sparks controversy

[Son of Gob]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/time-breastfeeding-cover-sparks-immediate-controversy-151539970.html

This week's Time magazine cover features Jamie Lynne Grumet, a 26-year-old woman breastfeeding her three-year-old son. Grumet was one of four mothers photographed by Time for a cover story on "attachment parenting," an approach--outlined by 1992's "The Baby Book" by Dr. Bill Sears--that recommends extended breast-feeding, co-sleeping and "baby wearing."

The provoctive cover, published online Thursday, was met with the predictable Twitter jaw-drop.

"Love the Time cover," AllThingsD.com's Peter Kafka wrote. "In the cringiest way possible."

"Anybody else slightly slack-jawed over this week's Time cover?" The Atlantic Wire's Adam Clark Estes rhetorically asked.
"Breastfeeding your 3-year-old is one thing," the Daily News' Bill Hammond wrote. "But putting a picture of him doing it on the cover of Time?"

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Wc4C5agk5QQn8.ysTPhN8Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Ok sorry, but this is how exactly controversial?

Oh wait, we get the icky over normal functions... We have seen photos like this published in National Geographic from other places in the world...

Oy.

[Son of Gob]

2. I think it's because the kid is wearing camouflage pants.

Those have been out of style for at least 4 years.

[Angry Dragon]

4. I think the camouflage pants are a metaphor

for the military sucking at the government tit as Simpson would say

[NYC_SKP]

23. I think the kids Packin' Heat!

Fits your metaphor, I suppose.

[polichick]

27. LOL - that must be it!

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Ah good point,

hand me downs....

That is not to be done...

Thanks for the laugh.

[cali]

8. it's controversial because the mother is using her child in a narcissistic

manner. She's using him to illustrate her adult pov. I have a real problem with parents using children like they're some sort of extension of themselves. They aren't.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. a) that's not right. b) you think *your* yearbook baby photo is bad?

I wouldn't want to be this kid in 15 years.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Why not? The photo will pursue him, we are that kind of a repressed society

but this is perfectly normal around the world.

[cali]

10. whether it's normal in some parts of the world is irrelevant.

He lives in this society and his mother knows that. And btw, in most parts of the world, it's not "normal" to pose breastfeeding your 4 year old on the cover of a national mag- not that that's the most germane point.

[FedUpWithIt All]

40. And perhaps his mother, and a great many others, feel it is time our society changed

it's views on this point.

And like many times in history, public discourse and a certain amount of public exposure are necessary for change to be understood, accept and embraced.

This is just more of the same and we, as a nation, would do well to respect the legal rights of others.

[Son of Gob]

9. Maybe Time will do a reenactment photo with them in 15 years

Now that would be controversial.

[appleannie1]

6. My s-i-l breast fed her girls until kindergarten. My opinion, that is a bit old but it is no skin

off my nose. Everyone to their own thing. I personally stopped it once teeth came in.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. First six months are critical

first three years are not that crazy... studies and all that.

[HubertHeaver]

13. You stopped at first bite?

[Auntie Bush]

32. My cousin used to bite his mother. He never outlived the name Nipper.

He was called that up until the day he died in his 70's

[lapislzi]

12. Wow.

Good thing this is none of my damned business, or I might have an opinion. But, I do not.

I DO have an issue with the provocative headline, because wtf kind of a throwdown is that?

[vanlassie]

18. The first thing I asked my lactation colleagues

Since I won't pay to read the article, is whether there are also some lovely tender photos included... Apparently not-Time was going for the Enquirer-style presentation here, just trying to sell their rag.

[lapislzi]

21. No issue with breast feeding. Big issue with the image and headline

The whole cover--image, headline, is belligerent and confrontational. The only thing missing is the camo kid flipping the reader off.

Why? What is the point they are making?

[NV Whino]

14. It's not in the Olive Garden?

Sacrilege!

[Nye Bevan]

15. As long as she phases it out by the time the kid is in middle school

I don't see a problem.

[seabeyond]

16. now really....

this one actually made me laugh

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. .

[cr8tvlde]

30. True, but by that time there will be a waiting line to the "source"

and the "source" not likely so perky. LOL.

[eissa]

17. To each their own, but this is still pretty sick

And I speak as someone whose grandmother breast-fed her only son well into his elementary years, and another male relative did the same until he was about seven. This was back in the old country where women in the villages believed that breast-feeding your son as long as possible would make him grow stronger. Both men are in their late 40s now. Both are extremely juvenille and childish. Connection?

Btw, my teens would be horrified if I posted any baby pics of them on FB. I can't even imagine what this poor kid is going to think of this very public photo when he's 16.

[Bake]

20. The kid looks like he could easily sit at the dinner table with the big folks ...

And probably cut his own piece of meat with the knife and fork.

Just sayin'.

Bake

[RebelOne]

29. Gotta agree. 'nuf said. n/t

[JHB]

50. As for the connection part...

...my guess is that the men have grown up with a whole array of things that failed to discourage juvenile behavior by the time they qualified as grown-ups. Going by my little window on the world, it seems to rarely be from just one thing.

If there's a connection with the late breast-feeding, odds are it's just part of a package.

[Lucky Luciano]

19. Very attractive woman. nt

[NYC_SKP]

24. The Young Boy Does NOT Look Happy to Be There. I Suspect it's Deliberate.

It looks like torture, really. Who puts a kid on a chair and feeds them standing up???

The posture of both is fucking unreal and over the top, her hand on her hip, and he's what? on a chair? like, "mom, do I HAVE TO?"

The scene is just bizarre, as is the caption, and the photograph is unkind toward women who chose this practice with children this age.

So the photograph is "editorial", to be kind, and designed to generate emotion.

[unkachuck]

25. ....lucky kid....n/t

[polichick]

26. Even though I nursed my kids, this cover sort of...

...creeped me out. It was just weird to see a kid standing on a chair and looking at the camera.

[cr8tvlde]

31. Ditto...on all accounts...including the macho cammo outfit. n/t

[polichick]

37. Yeah, that cammo! I'd like to talk to the stylist about the thinking behind the shot.

[Number23]

39. That's exactly how I felt. I breastfed too

But this chick is taking it to a whoooole 'nother level. I can't help but think that in 6 or 7 years when her son's playmates come across this photo, her son will probably be as creeped out as the rest of us.

[polichick]

41. Poor kid - he'll have to think up a quick come-back or they'll eat him alive!

[Number23]

45. It may just be me, but I have no doubt that in a few years

That woman is going to regret that magazine cover. IMMENSELY.

[derby378]

28. "Attachment Parenting," my ass...

Kids need to learn how to be independent, how to do things on their own, how to succeed on their own merits. That poor kid isn't going to learn any of that if his mom smothers him.

[cr8tvlde]

33. As an Early Childhood Education teacher ...

these were the poor kids we had to wrench from the mothers at kindergarten...both of them clutching to hold on. Smother Mothers. Milk from a straw in a carton with graham crackers...tough on the kids.

[guitar man]

34. Controversial?

Now, if there's an ad for Olive Garden and an article about Pitbulls in this rag too, THAT would be controversial

[Generic Brad]

35. What's wrong with this picture?

A mother breastfeeding her child. Why in the world would anyone consider that controversial? If someone finds this offensive, it says more about them than it does about the picture.

[polichick]

36. It's the styling of the picture - the poses and expressions - that's strange...

I'm pretty sure that's not how they normally go about it.

[cr8tvlde]

38. Just out of curiosity...and no one is saying it is offensive...just wierd and edgy

Can you visualilze Dad standing there posing with mom and Kindergarten age/size boy?

[vanlassie]

42. Sure-why?

Early childhood ed expert? Btw I nursed my firstborn son until he turned 4. His teachers in primary school often noted how gentle and friendly he was. He was a leader. He graduated with a physics degree from Cal. He is the best father to his own three year old still nursing son that I could not be more proud. Maybe there is something you didn't get taught about "early education?". I think early education means meeting age appropriate needs and gently weaning from mom. But that's just me and I never did teach early education, except to my own two delightfully well adjusted now successful adult children.

[cr8tvlde]

46. Good for you. Congratulations on your family...truly.

Many kids don't get to nurse at all and get along fine, as well. Many kids don't get a "natural" birth and come out just fine. My son started snatching at "real" food at 8 months, walked at 10 months, weaned himself at 18 months, talked early, etc. He's an Aries and I've been chasing him ever since...he was homeschooled through Kindergarten and a neighborhood Preschool Coop and now is doing great, as well. Each parent-child relationship is unique. No one is judging you, your child or your choices.

Early Childhood Education in California, which included Pre K -3rd grade, began in 1971 because of mothers having to go out into the workplace. Lots of stay-at-home mothers had a lot of judgment around that. Some public school systems began to provide for kids during the day younger than 5 or kindergarten age. We were a pilot program in the South Whittier School District and we had a full educational curriculum. But the kids had to be weaned to come to preschool/PreK and for the mother to go to work. That's all.

[vanlassie]

48. Well I do appreciate your comments. but calling long term nursing mothers "smother mothers" does not

sit right with me. Maybe you know this is not fair to say and it just slipped out. And yes- there are many variations of "fine." Long term nursing does not equate with smothering. It is more than a fine thing to do- it's an excellent thing- and yes it is sad that all mothers and children don't get to do it.

[cr8tvlde]

49. OK...the term smother mothers has NOTHING to do with nursing.

...on account of because in school we do not ask them their nursing history. They are the kids that the mother has a harder time sending off to school and both have evident "attachment issues". Perhaps "hovering" would be a better word, reflecting some earlier family incident, and yes, mothers too often have both responsibility and criticism.

[WonderGrunion]

43. Considering artificial growth hormone in beef and dairy products is causing the onset of puberty

in children as young as 6 - 8 years of age, exactly how long do we want mothers with their sons attached to their breasts?

[vanlassie]

44. Because we all know...human milk is dairy???

[cr8tvlde]

47. Why Does America Hate It's Moms...Financial Times...Another Nursing Photo

the new rage ... plus Six Dicatators with Mommy Issues...really. I just don't know how to get the image from Windows Photo. This one does look a bit more like National Geographic than Chic Magazine, however.