Keef

So that's one (PGC) who had a big baby, and one (someone cate knows, and has probably lectured regularly) who had a little baby. Blow me, these figures are mind boggling! cate, perhaps you should write a parenting book, people need to be told what to do, by other perfect people. If my daughter gets very ill, you can smile knowingly at me, and tell me you told me so. PS. I never smoke in my house, I do out in the garden. I shall be sure to start hosing myself down before re-entering the house in future.

I sat outside the CPT with my dad, and my 15 month old daughter yesterday enjoying a cold pint and a smoke (smoked well away from my daughter). I thought about this thread.

Yes. texture more than taste that keep me away.

Yes, good news indeed, those trips to the hospital suck. Pleased you walked away reassured!

Aint that the bloody truth!!!

Just noticed Federer is in trouble.

Don't know for sure, but I suspect so. I do know that my mum told me that when I was a baby, it used to be seen as a bit of a poor person's thing, to have to breast feed, and all the more middle class people used to bottle feed. Luckily for me, we were dirt poor back then, so I got boob!

Well that is a much wider issue of culture. Co-sleeping / baby in cot ASAP Controlled crying or not Baby in sling / baby left in buggy whilst you sip your latte. Breast feeding / Bottle feeding Surely all of these are direct results of our culture? I'll be the first to argue that the culture we live in is rubbish, and although having kids is really popular, we don't really like them getting in the way too much. That said, can we have it both ways? If you are supportive of a woman's right to do whatever she wants with her self (within the law), then it's hard to condemn her for her parenting decisions. I agree, it's sad.

Heidi, put your prices up!

Indeed, a fine, and fair post. Only point I'd disagree with is Which I don't think is a valid comparison, as she never said she finds the sight of a baby on someone's breast crepy. Just that she finds a baby on HER breast creepy. Anyway, enough, fine post Molly, considered, and fair.

Sue, my wife feeds our 14 month old, I'm all for it. Just think it's individual choice.

In fact, perhaps this would have been better in The Drawing Room :-S

Good post D_C.

Yeah I'd go along with that Citizen, the earlier thread in the Lounge from someone asking how to meet people locally was a good example of what you just said. I guess (as Quids basically points out above), there are just some subjects that are always going to cause strong reactions.

Just posted THIS THREAD in the Lounge, just as a matter of interest, not meant to start an rucks!

I'm starting this, as a result of THIS THREAD from today, as well as a few other experiences. I was genuinely surprised today to find that I was in a total minority, if not totally on my own, with regards a particular subject, and wondered why. Now the users on this forum all live in an around a smallish area. The Lounge has a fair few dads, some mum's, and some people without kids. The Family Room is, by it's very nature, used by people with kids, and probably 99%+ of the posts are by mums. I'm not starting this thread asking for support, as I am more than happy expressing my own opinions. The point is, that I have been surprised at just how different my opinions have been from the majority in the Family Room on a couple of occasions. Todays thread was based around an article by the Deputy Editor of Mother & Baby Magazine, which went as follows. This story was gotten hold of by The Sun, The Mail, and various other "papers", and caused absolute uproar amongst breastfeeding mothers (and to be fair, lots of formular using mums apparently, although I'v not read them). My point was that whilst I may not really agree with her take on things, it was bloody well up to this woman what she did with her body, and that her article wasn't actually anti breast feeding. Some (if not all) Family Room users clearly disagree, which is fine, but I was a bit surprised. I thought as a bloke, I'd not be the only one saying this woman should not be judged for making a decision about her own body, I thought a few women would be shouting about that too, but it would seem I totally misjudged things. Just wondered what people in here thought. This is NOT an attempt to start some Lounge Vs Family Room nonsense!

No need to get personal. I live in the same world as you, I just think I'm more flexible about it. I never said it was positive by the way, just not setting out to be negative. Why be so black & white about things? Sometimes there is no need to fight for a cause when there is no enemy, just a different point of view.

Very very true prdarling! Fuschia, your last post was an absolute triumph of selective editing, so well done. You onbviously missed (in the article that you poated in full) Anyone can make a few quotes fit their point if they cut and paste the right bits, it's not hard. I've not changed a single word of those, they are all direct quotes from the article, and you are telling us that she is saying BF is not best, and is negative about it. Well I'd disagree. I think it is just one woman's personal opinion. For me, the most important quotes of that article are. I'd agree with lots of the points on this thread, and question the style of this woman's article, but I am a bit shocked that no one seems to appreciate the fact that it is up to her what she does with her own bloody body, and if she finds it creepy, that is her look out. At no point does she say that breast feeding in general is creepy FFS! I'm also not sure I'd agree that she tries to pass herself off as just some random mum, rather than deputy editor. Also, I'm not sure there is any need for an opposing view in HER article. Read any column in a paper, and you get the opinions of that columnist. Anyway, that's basically my take on it. I'm sure it won't make some people reconsider even for a split second their opinion, because that would be a bloody impossibility, having read this section of the forum for a while.

>:D

Ha ha :-$ Only read the first couple of posts (whilst on a train), and thought that's what they were talking about. because Fuschia said "Some mixed sex schools will teach girls and boys separately for some subjects". In that case, I'd personally go for mixed. The only reason Aske's had a great mixed choir / orchestra / symphonic band in my day was because the rehearsals were the only chance you got to go and mix with the girls, so we all couldn't wait to sign up! I don't think it makes you scared of the opposite sex, or anyhting that severe, but I think mixed schools probably help kids to be more understanding of each other.

Well then at least she has started a debate. I have read it, and am obviously seeing it differently to you. That is understandable, given that I have (obviously) never breat fed. I don't like that Daily Mail article though, suggesting that she's being "laddish", and that all men just look at breasts as "funbags". I'll have to chat to Mrs Keef about this, and suspect she may well argue against me on this one (although she was right with me on the Mind shop thing ;-)). Perhaps she'd have been better off writing in a more serious manner, and not using some of the language she did, but then again, there may well be thousands of mothers out there who are nodding in agreement (the one's who agree with things, whatever they may be, don't tend to be vocal about it). I am totally pro breast feeding IF a woman feels it is right for her. I just find it a bit shocking how she has gotten such a response for a personal preferrence. That said, I suspect she has set out to get a rise out of people, as any publicity is good publicity. On that same article I quoted earlier, Miranda Levy, editor of Mother & Baby, said, Link to that article here, and some mixed comments at the bottom. At least they gave Kathryn Blundell a chance to speak up for herself.

Yes I had.

I went to a mixed primary (St John's, back when it was on Northcross / Archdale Roads), and we had really good sex education when we were about 10/11 years old. Most of it was done mixed, and one or 2 sessions were done seperately, such as the girls being taken off to have a talk about periods, which is understandable, and probably a lot more comfortable for the girls. I went to a single sex secondary (Aske's, when it was Boys school and girls school with mixed 6th form), and frankly, the sex education we got there was shocking, and I'd had much better from primary.

PS. As someone else has already mentioned it, I'd just like to add that other than being about Breast Feeding in some way, this has absolutely nothing in common with the whole Mind Shop episode.