[www.time.com]


While not strictly NSFW, some folks might be advised that is an "edgy" photograph. It is a photograph of an attractive young mother breast feeding her three-year-old child.

Thoughts? Some folks are annoyed and think it's a cheap shot.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2012 12:16PM by beagledave.

That kid is too old to be nursing. That cover is not edgy, it's stupid. Does Tina Brown work for TIME now, as well as Newsweek?

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

It's bizarre. A baby, sure. A three year old? No way. I don't care what anyone says, what the explanations are, it is beyond normal care of a child.

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Pam
It's bizarre. A baby, sure. A three year old? No way. I don't care what anyone says, what the explanations are, it is beyond normal care of a child.

I thought that was the point - a discussion of 'attachment parenting' - I'm assuming that they are suggesting that it isn't normal...

She's got health science and world opinion on her side.

It's only beyond normal in the sense that most American mothers stop breastfeeding (if they do it at all) long before this age. That doesn't make our approach healthier or better.

I think mothers who take care of their children are wonderful people. And we should keep out of it. So should Time.

Combines breast feeding with gratuitous titillation.

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A very punnish statement, Sir Wig.

I like that it makes people uncomfortable because that's part of the problem. Two things going on:
In the US you can get arrested for breast feeding "in public." Or harassed. Or lose your job. Some cities have made it a civil right to breastfeed in order to eliminate that harassment and encourage a healthy behavior of which we could use more. Americans need to get over their issues with @#$%& at least enough to facilitate this healthy behavior for developing children and their mothers.

Secondly, there is no correct age at which breastfeeding has to stop. It's up to the mother and child. Children who are breastfed longer are healthier both physically and emotionally, have fewer behavior problems, are less likely to be overweight, and have higher IQ's.

If that was my mother I'd still be breast feeding.

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Comedy Central: Best news channel that isn't a news channel.

Fox News: Best comedy channel that isn't a comedy channel.

The subject is "extreme" Attachment Parenting, not public breastfeeding. I would consider breastfeeding a three year old to be pretty extreme, and well beyond the window necessary to confer the benefits of breastfeeding outlined by Lemon Drop.

Biologically, a three year old has all the dental and digestive capability to be completely weaned.

I think the idea that this is extreme is based more on what's "normal" in our society and not based on what is best for the health of the child. I think the use of the term extreme here is unhelpful because it implies that something harmful is going on.
In many countries it's not at all unusual for children to be breastfed until age 4 (Turkey, for example, and I'll just use that because I have a friend who lives there and has raised 3 kids there and we've both been amazed by this difference.)
One of the most important benefits of breastfeeding is the development of the immune system. In humans this increases rapidly until age 6 or so. That's also the relative age at which our primate cousins stop breastfeeding.
(And no, dental development is not done at 3, most primates nurse until molars are in.)

Add this to the list of things about which we don't need to be having a national conversation.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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rjmacs
Add this to the list of things about which we don't need to be having a national conversation.

Yeah, very true. Certainly we don't need stupid magazine covers which were designed to draw attention to a magazine which is going down the crapper.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

One of my employees quite a few years ago was still breast-feeding a five year old boy.
Thank goodness not at the office.
Apparently she enjoyed it quite a bit.

Definitely on the top ten list of office chatter not to be participant .

MOAR MEDIA BA-HOOBIES!

I find the idea of attachment parenting via extended breastfeeding to be disconcertingly fringe. Other animals wean their children off suckling as soon as the alternative is doable. I wonder if this extreme form of parenting actually fosters an attachment or a codependency. BillB's example of the five year old just sounds gross to me—borderline sexual.

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Le poète doit vivre beaucoup, vivre dans tous les sens. - Verlaine

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Lemon Drop
She's got health science and world opinion on her side.

It's only beyond normal in the sense that most American mothers stop breastfeeding (if they do it at all) long before this age. That doesn't make our approach healthier or better.

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Marc Anthony
I find the idea of attachment parenting via extended breastfeeding to be disconcertingly fringe. Other animals wean their children off suckling as soon as the alternative is doable. I wonder if this extreme form of parenting actually fosters an attachment or a codependency. BillB's example of the five year old just sounds gross to me—borderline sexual.

that is very misinformed

Don't forget, not every culture has access to weaning foods leading to longer breastfeeding. Going to age 3 much less 5 is not about the kid.

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Pam
Don't forget, not every culture has access to weaning foods leading to longer breastfeeding. Going to age 3 much less 5 is not about the kid.

What is it about exactly?

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Lemon Drop
One of the most important benefits of breastfeeding is the development of the immune system. In humans this increases rapidly until age 6 or so. That's also the relative age at which our primate cousins stop breastfeeding.

Colostrum only lasts a few days. Benefits to the immune system thereafter are questionable. Some studies have shown lower incidences of urinary and ear infections in kids breastfed for up to a couple of years, but they weren't very big studies. They show correlation, not causation.

An interesting sidenote on the study that found that kids who were breastfed kept their weight down as teens: If their parents gave them both solid food and breast milk instead of sticking to breast milk alone, they had the same chances of being svelte as the kids who were on breastmilk alone. I believe the prevailing theory is that it's actually a matter of mental conditioning to strict portion-controls rather than a benefit of the milk, itself, that is responsible for the difference in weight later in life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2012 07:29PM by Chakravartin.

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Lemon Drop

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Pam
Don't forget, not every culture has access to weaning foods leading to longer breastfeeding. Going to age 3 much less 5 is not about the kid.

What is it about exactly?

It's a possible multitude of psychological issues with the mother.

Thanks to the intratubes...the meme.

Sphincter control to Major Tom/Thom
Who would of thunk it *(:>* ?

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"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
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"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then
will you discover you cannot eat money."
~ Cree Prophecy

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rjmacs
Add this to the list of things about which we don't need to be having a national conversation.

Wow rj, I mean comrade , I mean big brother, I mean WTF over *(:>*

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“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
"There are only two mantras yummm and yuk "
"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
"I got to that part and I knew there was going to be some weapons grade stupid to follow"Lux Interior
"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then
will you discover you cannot eat money."
~ Cree Prophecy

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Pam

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Lemon Drop

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Pam
Don't forget, not every culture has access to weaning foods leading to longer breastfeeding. Going to age 3 much less 5 is not about the kid.

What is it about exactly?

It's a possible multitude of psychological issues with the mother.

I know mothers that believe in breast feeding as long as the kid wants.
I am confident those that I know are well-equipped to deal with the alleged "psychological issues."
(the kids too...)

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beagledave
Thanks to the intratubes...the meme.

If anyone remembers this 20 years from now, it will be cool to see how the kid came out as a young adult like the Nirvana baby.

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Is that kid the model's kid? Is it Photoshopped? Is it a model kid?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2012 09:58PM by Dennis S.

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Black

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beagledave
Thanks to the intratubes...the meme.

If anyone remembers this 20 years from now, it will be cool to see how the kid came out as a young adult like the Nirvana baby.

but what would be the most contributory factor to his life from this point on - that he was breast fed to an age considered by some to be late or that he was an attachment parenting cover boy for a major magazine? oh my, what will scar him more?

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Dennis S
Is that kid the model's kid? Is it Photoshopped? Is it a model kid?

Either a stunt midget or unpaid intern at Time.

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graylocks

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Black

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beagledave
Thanks to the intratubes...the meme.

If anyone remembers this 20 years from now, it will be cool to see how the kid came out as a young adult like the Nirvana baby.

but what would be the most contributory factor to his life from this point on - that he was breast fed to an age considered by some to be late or that he was an attachment parenting cover boy for a major magazine? oh my, what will scar him more?

I don't know, but I'll bet he will be scarred in that awful way where he seems perfectly well adjusted on the outside and claims to be perfectly happy but is irreparably damaged internally in ways that modern science is unable to detect.

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lafinfil

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Dennis S
Is that kid the model's kid? Is it Photoshopped? Is it a model kid?

Either a stunt midget or unpaid intern at Time.

It's image hype designed to boost news stand circ figures, why are we even discussing it?

I am l@@king forward to my second childhood *(:>*

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“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
"There are only two mantras yummm and yuk "
"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
"I got to that part and I knew there was going to be some weapons grade stupid to follow"Lux Interior
"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then
will you discover you cannot eat money."
~ Cree Prophecy

Have you seen the price of milk lately? She might just be frugal.

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Unpaid Social Liaison

I have two thoughts on this:

1. This is really none of anybody's business. The people claiming that it's harmful, or sexual, or wrong, seem to be using some sort of cultural paradigm rather than data to back up their disapproval.

2. I think the kid needs to stand aside so I can show him better technique.

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"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland

Davester, your point no. 2 shows how that photo in no way reminds people of maternal bliss or mother child bonding.
And it is my business when TIME decides to force it into my view via their attention-seeking cover.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2012 11:54AM by $tevie.

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decay

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$tevie
Davester, your point no. 2 shows how that photo in no way reminds people of maternal bliss or mother child bonding.
And it is my business when TIME decides to force it into my view via their attention-seeking cover.

My comment was not about Time's sensationalist BS cover, but about the topic itself. I agree that the Time cover represents the worst properties of tabloid journalism at the level of National Enquirer and it's ilk.

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"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland

Ah. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno

Can't find my favorite-- where they just photoshopped out the chair.

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So what's with all the right-wing visuals? Those folks jumped all over the @#$%& thing, didn't they? I guess they don't get to post breast pics as a rule and had to make do with this rare opportunity.

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"Stop thinking about art works as objects, and start thinking about them as triggers for experiences." ~ Brian Eno



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2012 11:26PM by $tevie.

maybe Janet Jackson's boob with Rush Limbaugh suckling would be fun...

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