http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/motherhood-the-new-oppression/article1618807/
This is worth reading...although I do not agree with trying for mediocrity I can definitely see the author's point. What do you think?
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Frankly, I would argue that the author's parents were lame ducks as parents and seemed to set a terrible example for her that she looks back at with some bizarre fondness. Sitting and drinking to excess in front of small kids, no seatbelts and letting you run wild in the streets is lazy, self centered no matter what era it is in. I felt sorry for her reading that.
ReplyDeleteI would agree completely with her argument in that taking these things too far (organic homemade food, cloth diapers, baby yoga etc) would indeed impact on a mother's free time and career aspirations in a bizarre form of oppression. Unfortunately where her argument comes apart is in that most "normal" people do not go to this extent. The average parent, Mom or Dad, wants to be conscientious of safety hazards and risks and strides to take the best precautions for their kid's health and welfare. In that sense, it doesn't take any longer to change a bottle for BPA free, do some recycling or take your toddler to sign language class.
The other aggravating point in this article was the pointless longing people seem to have for days when kids didn't wear helmets or worry about who our kids were looked after or what they ate. To me this is like saying that I miss other quaint things like asbestos insulation, DDT and thalidomide. When we discovered that 45,000 people per year died in car crashes we passed seat belt laws and nobody gets misty eyed thinking of the good ol' days when you were ground to a pulp in a car accident. I for one am glad that things move forward and I wish this author could see the benefits of change rather than longing for her drunken chain smoking Mom's ways to come back in style.
My extremely long 2 cents...
I think perhaps she's trying to justify her parents behaviours, and unfortunately we tend to try and minimize our own shortcomings as well.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we encourage new parents to be true to their own family values and goals, and not be swayed by today's 'adult' peer pressure.
Unfortunately there's always those who go way overboard, including over-ambitious career people, status seekers and social climbers.
While some reminisce about the 'good old days', I for one am glad we've come a long way baby!
Oooh - interesting comments! I think that her article highlights two extremes on the spectrum of parenting but she seems to be framing her argument in a generational context. In my own experiences meeting other parents at preschool, parks, and rec centre programs I have definitely come across all types within this generation of parents. There are those parents that will sit and watch vacantly as their kid pummels your kid. There are also those who will frown upon you if you admit to frequenting "McD's" or indulging in other conveniences such as disposable diapers. So yeah, some parents are lazy and some are anal. I just don't see it as a generational phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteAny other thoughts?
I forgot to say that I do agree with the general idea of the article that parents do need to relax a bit. The hyper-obsessive parents who are concerned about every miniscule detail can be grating. Especially when they judge you for not adhering to their carefully researched regiments and beliefs. That being said, R&B will not be attending baseball games with bus drivers!
ReplyDelete