Spreadin' Love

Salma Hayek is addicted to breast feeding. At what point does breast feeding move to the creepy place? [Perez Hilton]

Nicholas Kristof talks about reforms he thinks must be made in schools. "...end rigid requirements for teacher certification that impede hiring, make tenure more difficult to get so that ineffective teachers can be weeded out after three years on the job and award hefty bonuses to good teachers willing to teach in low-income areas. If we want outstanding, inspiring teachers in difficult classrooms, we’re going to have to pay much more — and it would be a bargain." [New York Times]

Julian Schnabel made a fortune in the art world in the 1980s and leveraged his fortune into movie making and interior design. People either love him or hate him. I'm on the fence. There's a whole lot of phony going on there, but I do like all the Mediterranean Gothic thing. Some slide shows of his work: here, and here. There was a fabulous Vogue spread on his home years ago, but can't seem to find it online. [New York Times and elsewhere]

GeekyMom has an excellent post about how women, more than men, really struggle with the tension between work and family; they recognize the benefits of parental care. Now that Geeky Mom is home, she is seeing real benefits for her kids, especially around homework time. My brain is the midst of a huge civil war right now over these same issues. I'll write about it soon. [blog]

Comments

[Wendy]

"At what point does breast feeding move to the creepy place?"

Not at 13 months! The freakout over Hayek is annoying.

[Mamalooper]

That freakout IS annoying. Most of the developing world breastfeeds well into the second year.

Methinks the freakout is more due to sexualizing of women's breasts. Relax, people, breastfeeding is normal.

[bj]

I think she was freaking people out by using the words "addicted to breastfeeding." It implied that she was doing it for her benefit rather than her daughters (in spite of the fact that her next sentence says that she was committed to BF'ing 'cause she thought it wonderful for her daughter). It would be creepy if someone was forcing their child to breastfeed for for their benefit and not the child's. That's why we talk of child-lead weaning.

I blame her using the word "addicted" incorrectly to mean something that she's "committed to and enjoys."

[Ailurophile]

I think Hayek's word choice of "addicted" was unfortunate. However, 14 months is still young. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors likely breastfed for three YEARS. It's not unheard of for a child in a hunting/gathering society to nurse until he or she is five. I read a paper that noted the Coahuiltecan Indians living near what is now Corpus Christi, Texas, who were in very harsh and scarce living conditions. Children *up to the age of twelve* were permitted to nurse when food was scarce.

It would certainly be considered weird for a modern twelve-year-old or even four-year-old to breastfeed (not to mention the teeth factor!) but let's not forget we moderns are spoiled with the availability of baby formula and pureed baby foods.

[Harry b]

People use "addicted" in that way all the time. And 13 months doesn't seem weird at all.

But, when Penelope Leach had a show in the states, my favourite moment was when a woman from the audience said that people give her strange looks and criticize her for breastfeeding her kid in public, and asked Leach what she should say in response. Leach gave her usual calm, reassuring, response, that some people are upset, but you shouldn't let that inhibit you, etc. Then, as an aside, she asked the age of the child. "5". When Leach realised this was 5 years, not 5 months, even her face betrayed some dismay.

[MH]

People are going to make different decisions that I would, but the important thing is to raise awareness of Selma Hayek.

[Wendy]

Confession time: I think "Fools Rush In" is a really enjoyable movie.

[Wendy]

Weird! The verification code that came up on that last reply was:

azpuma

[bj]

Salma, MH, Salma.

bj

[MH]

Oops. I was distracted.