Teach your children well (two little suburban mom rants)

[beetiger]

1)It's okay to go back to work because you like it, or because you miss problem solving with grownups, or because you don't want to ruin your career and think that being home longer will do that, or for any other of a host of reasons, but don't sit there in your $600,000 house and tell me that you "have to" go back to work and that I'm "so lucky I can afford to" stay home. You don't need an extra income to feed and clothe your family. You may possibly have overextended yourself so that you "need" the second income to maintain your lifestyle, but don't try to tell me that that wasn't a choice, and one you could likely change right now if you felt like it.

2)There are lots of good reasons to choose to feed your baby jarred food. Convenience, certainly, or the fact that it's harder to get organic produce around here of many of the types that are available in jarred organic food, or the fact that it's perfectly fine nutritionally. But saying that I "shouldn't really make baby food myself because if I get too busy later my baby won't take the jar stuff" is just wrong. You want not to offer your baby something that you actually think is superior so that she won't know any better? No wonder our culture is rapidly sliding toward the mediocre.

Comments

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

1. There is so much out there about how it may not cost as much as you think to stay home. I know it's not so much we can afford to have me home, but we can't afford to have me working! It's crazy. But it works for us.

2. If you are worried about later, please understand later you can MUSH STUFF UP WITH A FORK ON THE SPOT. Why do people think that children have to -- oh wait, I just realized what it is.

I bet the people who feel that way are those who start solids VERY early. If you start them later like you SHOULD, then it really isn't long before you can mush up a carrot with a fork, or hand over some cheerios, or tear up some bread. But if you are giving baby food early on to help them 'sleep through the night' or whatever, yeah, it's going to be a while before you can just mush on the spot.

[blither.livejournal.com]

Um, let me guess, you had playgroup today? =)

[cowboy-r.livejournal.com]

It's funny how people never seem to look at 'reducing lifestyle' as a viable choice. We seem to set a high-water mark, and think that we should stay there, no matter what.

For myself, going back to school and living on nuttin' has been an education in what's necisary, and what's nice to have.

[betanfrill.livejournal.com]

The worst one I ever heard was "You should never apologise to a baby". I mean sorry? How are they going to learn to apologise? Sheesh.