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My thoughts on the Time cover.

For starters, let’s throw out the “Are you mom enough?”  This is clearly offensive and reaction provoking. I don’t rank mothers based on a checklist of “they do this” and “they don’t do that”.  That is ridiculous and this headline does nothing to promote the photo depicted. It provokes the wrong emotions and encourages “mompetition”, which is so rediciously counterprodctive – because at the end of the day, don’t we all just want to be doing our personal best?  Lord knows we all mess up.  I wish I could say I was a perfect parent, but I’m not!  I have three children and I just hope that I get them to adulthood without ruining them! (Okay maybe my goals aren’t quite that simple, but you know what I mean!)  There is no need for competition and judgement, though I suppose that’s a topic all to itself.  Perhaps another day.

Despite my feelings on the cover title, what I dislike more than that is the sentence below it –  “Why attachment parenting drives some mothers to extremes – and how Dr. Bill Sears became their guru.”

That pisses me off. 

Extremes.  I nursed all three of my children, and my youngest nursed past two.  Even if she had wanted to nurse longer (though I was so ready for her to be done!) I would have, and I wouldn’t have considered extreme in the least.

The fact that mainstream ideas want to pin mothers into corners by calling them “extreme” for parenting based on instincts and the natural progession of infancy and toddlerhood enrages me and saddens me.

Who says what is extreme? I don’t remember anyone asking me.  Is that on the ballot this year?

The focus of mainstream perceptions is what brings me back around to another thought about this cover.  Wipe the words away, and it is beautiful.  The mother is a beautiful, petite woman with lovely features and looks like she just got out of that yoga class I wish I took. Her son is healthy breastfed boy who is enjoying the benefits of attachment parenting. This is beautiful, as are the other amazing photos from this shoot.


These images by photographer Martin Schoeller, are beautiful and natural.  They are taken of women who clearly love what they are doing and are strong and confident in that.  Though I would have chosen a different approach and angle on the cover, I am happy to see such lovely photos being viewed by the masses.

What are your thoughts on this cover? Do you think this is good for breastfeeding? Do you think it has set it back? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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