Mother Breast Feeding 6 Year Old

December 12, 2010 by
When should a mother stop nursing her child?  Is 6 years old beyond the appropriate age limit? Amanda Hurst in the UK doesn’t see a problem with her 6 year old breast feeding.  As a matter of fact, she’s breast feeding both her 6 year old and her 5 five month old. Amanda said, she nurses both of the children in the morning because it’s cold and she doesn’t want to get up.   I find that to be a rather odd reason for nursing a six year old.  Most people would find that statement to be an indication of laziness. 

 

Furthermore, does it warm up as the day goes on inside her home or does she have to get up eventually and turn up the heat?  If she has to eventually get up to turn up the heat, why doesn’t she do it and feed the child a bowl of cereal, oatmeal or pancakes?  Better yet, why doesn’t she have her husband turn up the heat before he leaves for work.  The house would be warm by the time she gets up with the children.

We all know that breast feeding has been proven to be better for babies, but this post is about a 6 year old.  In addition to still nursing her 6 year old because it’s cold, Amanda said she just couldn’t turn her son away when she tried to wean him at 3 years old.  When her second son, William, was born and she decided to nurse him too.  However, Jonathan wanted to continue as well. It’s rare that she nurses both of them at once because of the difficulty, but yes on occasion she does.

Now Jonathan has a 7 year old girlfriend.  He goes to school, tap dances, swims and attends Beaver Scouts.  He’s your typical 6 year old.  If so, than why in the hell isn’t he drinking milk at the table in the morning?  I never breast feed my daughter.  I developed a relationship with Similac.  But, my daughter turned out just fine.

Additionally, I don’t buy breast feed children are more intelligent.  She’s highly educated.  She graduated with honors from both high school and college.  As a matter of fact, I will be hosting a party for her next month to celebrate her new Masters Degree.  She will be moving on to her Ph.D.   She was quite healthy as well.  Typical colds, ear infections that most kids experience growing up.  Now my grandson was breast feed, and he has had more colds than I care to count.  I don’t knock breastfeeding, I believe it’s a mother’s choice and neither is better or the worst for their decision.

Amanda says, “I do question the decisions I make and wonder whether I’m right or wrong. But it’s parenting, there is no manual, I don’t think there is a “right way”.  I beg to differ on this decision.  From one mother to another, parenting is difficult.  There is no manual, but at times common sense comes into play.  Amanda admits she’s lazy, “I think I’m quite lazy,’ she says. ‘I’d have gone crazy having to sterilize all those bottles. Breast milk is always the right temperature, right consistency and it’s always there, on tap”.

Laziness is not an option in my house.  At 5 months, an infant is still dependent on their mother for nourishment, but a 6 year old is old enough to get nutrients and vitamins from appropriate table foods.  Get with it mom, remove your 6 year old from your breast.  “Lellow”, Jonathan’s made up word for breast milk, is no longer cute.

Do you think it’s appropriate to nurse a 6 year old?  Please leave us a comment, we would love to hear from you.

Filed Under: breast feeding, breast feeding controversary, breast feeding stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Bullying Obese Children

December 12, 2010 by


Kathy Griffin is fighting back.  She has dubbed Bristol Palin aka “Pillsbury Dough Girl ” or try the “White Precious” and she’s standing by her comments.  Although she is being seen as a bully per Elizabeth Hasselbeck from The View, Kathy Griffin refuses to apologize for her fat jokes. Is  Kathy Griffin a bully for calling Bristol fat?  That depends on who you ask.  Some are defining bullying as an attack on a defenseless person who has done nothing wrong, and Bristol Palin is fair game.  After all, she is the only contestant who gained weight on Dancing With The Stars.  To add fuel to the fire, she shouldn’t have even been in the final competition.  If the show is truly based on one’s dancing ability, Bristol Palin is a joke according to Kathy Griffin.  Other people went into a rage over the fact that Bristol beat out Brandy on DWTS.  So enraged one man shot out his TV and had a standoff with a SWAT  Team.  Now that is what we call Pissed Off.   
Now I don’t believe Bristol was a better dancer than Brandy; however, I am against bullying.  My daughter was bullied and I’ve written several blog posts on the subject.   It can devastating to the person who is on the receiving end and could possibly end in tragedy.  Do I see Bristol Palin as a child?  Not really, but she is a child to me.  Is she fair game for comedians?  Aren’t we all. Is she being bullied?  I personally don’t think so.  Although she is a child to me, she is in fact a grown woman who had to know that she would be the topic of discussion at breakfast, lunch and dinner if she participated on the show.  Hell her mother is the brunt of jokes for many comedians, so as far as I’m concerned she stepped into the line of fire.  Should her mother have warned her it could happen?  Was this a selfish opportunity that Sarah Palin used for her own political aspirations?  Is this a reflection of Sarah Palin’s parenting skills or lack thereof?     

        
Take a good look at this picture of Bristol Palin.  Would the medical field consider her fat?  Probably so. Should she be the brunt of a fat joke, no. People have criticized Michelle Obama for promoting healthier life styles for America’s children.  I’ve even seen a post where someone blamed President Obama for removing ice cream from the schools.  Is that really a bad thing?  What’s wrong with replacing ice cream with a piece of fruit?  That’s what a doctor would want us to do.  Kathy Griffin’s remarks about Bristol is a perfect example of why obesity needs to be promoted, discussed and dealt with in this country.  Fat jokes, humiliating comments toward our children, and the struggle in adulthood to loose excessive weight is real.  The truth be told, we do have some of the most obese people in the world right here in the good ole USA.  We come from the land of good and plenty, and we believe in indulgence. 

I think too much emphasis is placed on body images in this country.  It’s ingrained into our heads that thin is in.  When those of us who have weight problems can’t obtain that goal, we are the butt of cruel comments and remarks.  I struggle with my weight, and I have for many years. It can be painful at times.  I’ve lost track of the number of times that I’ve looked into the mirror nude and told myself that I was disgusting.  On the other hand, my self esteem is high enough when I can look in the mirror on other days and say diva, oh yes I am.  Not everyone has the strength to do that, and I am grateful for a healthy dose of self-esteem.  I’m not aiming to be thin, but I am aiming to be healthy.

As for Bristol Palin, she should really think twice about whether or not she wants to be in the lime light.  It’s kinda of like Sarah Palin on the hunt for a kill, if you put yourself out there, you’re fair game. I would love to hear your thoughts on Kathy Griffin’s fat jokes and the obesity problems that we face in this country with our children.  Please leave us a comment, we love them.

Filed Under: Bristol Palin, Dancing With The Stars, fat jokes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Christmas At The Beach

December 2, 2010 by

I love making memories with my grandson.  This past week we visited the Winter Wonderland and the Lights on the Beach in Virginia Beach, VA.  I had hoped to walk along the boardwalk with Xavier, but the setup only allowed you to drive along the boardwalk.  It worked out perfectly, since the evening was quite chilly.  

The light show was fantastic.  The displays arranged from the drummer shown above to fish jumping from the sea.  Ronald McDonald was on hand, Snoopy, a beautiful carousel and a nativity scene.  Dinosaurs, boats, and horses could be found along the beach.  Xavier was quite excited by the lights, and so was I. What a way to start the holiday season. I loved the fact that you could drive the boardwalk at your leisure.  Nobody was honking horns hurrying people along, everyone was enjoying the scenery and just taking their time.  You could place an order for coffee or hot chocolate before you started your journey, which was brought to your car.  You were also given a CD of holiday music to play while you drove the 30 blocks.  It was a great set-up, and I intend to make the Lights on the Beach an annual outting for Xavier and Mama.       

 
My neighbor had seen the show last year with her daughter, and she assured me that I would not be disappointed.  She was right.  Each year the merchants add new displays. I can’t wait to see the show next year.  There was truly alot of time and effort put into the show.      

If you’re in the Virginia Beach area during the holiday it is worth the trip.  Your children will never forget the lights and they will love you for it making a great memory for them.  I can’t wait to make a scrapbook of my week-end with Xavier.  No show is ever the same, so this adventure will certainly go to the top of my list of things to do during the holidays, and I recommend that you add it to your list too.  Leave us a comment and let us know how you’re getting into the Christmas spirit with your children this holiday season.  We would love to know what’s happening in your area.     

Filed Under: Christmas activities, Christmas displays, Christmas lights, Christmas on the Beach, holiday lights, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Kathy Griffin Judges Kids Pageant

June 27, 2010 by

Imagine this 4, 5 and 6 year old girls looking like miniature adults with make up, tans, big hair and Kathy Griffin in the mix. Kinda scary isn’t it. I watched Kathy Griffin’s show, My Life on the D-List this morning. Kathy and her mother were judging a kiddie beauty pageant. Now I’m not much on children being in beauty pageants, seeing children made up to look like miniature adults is not something that I as a parent condone. I use the words “miniature adults” lightly, hookers would probably describe that scene a little better.
Kathy Griffin was hilarious. During a segment of the show there was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7, with tons of fake hair and getting a spray tan. She proceeded to tell Kathy that “if you can’t tone it tan it” and “beauty is pain”. What experience would a 6 or 7 year old have with toning or experiencing pain in relations to a beauty routine? Bikini or eyebrow waxing, lol. How sad for a little girl to be thinking that way. During another segment, Kathy stated that she was scared shitless of those little bitches, referring to the girls, because she believed they would cut you. Confirming that kiddie pageants were treacherous business, the kids were out to win. She also brought a few of her Emmys to the pageant, afterall getting a trophy was the goal.

It also showed Kathy asking a group of little girls about make-up tips. They clearly didn’t have a clue about make-up, which tells me these girls can’t possibly be making decisions on what to wear or how to wear it, but they did know about “cupcake hands”. Now for you moms who don’t know, cupcake hands is a position on how to hold your hands.

Can someone explain to me how a 1 – 2 year old can be furious competition? There was a mom who believed her daughter at that age was competition. Is this a mother living through her daughter or what? Kathy advised the mother to not have cosmetic surgery on the child anytime soon. The mother responded not before she was 6. Too funny.

This was the first time that I watched Kathy Griffin’s show, it was great for few laughs this morning. I may tune in again.

Filed Under: beauty pageants, children's beauty pageants, children's pagents, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Perez Hilton – What An Idiot

June 18, 2010 by

What an idiot! You’ve heard the controversy with Perez Hilton and the Miley Cyrus photo, right. If you haven’t, Perez Hilton placed a link on his Twitter Account that opened to a photo of Miley Cyrus getting out of a vehicle in an “unlady like fashion”. I watched him on The Joy Behar show tonight trying to explain himself. His explanation, she knew pictures were being taken of her, she should be careful how she exits a car. Hello, she’s 17 you fool.
I’m not a big fan of Miley Cyrus, but I am a mother. People are in an uproar over his attempt to exploit a 17 year old child in this manner.  Rightfully so, I would be furious if someone posted a photo of my minor child on-line with her skirt or dress a little too high because she was struggling to get out of a vehicle.  Perez went on to say he thought the photo was funny and further reinforced her provocative behavior so to speak. I saw the photo, and it appears that she just didn’t think about what she was wearing, her focus was just on getting out the car. The car appeared to be a low, 2 seater.  Have you tried getting out of one?  Hell, I have a difficult time getting out of an SUV.  My skirt probably would have been around my head if I had to get out of a vehicle that low. 
I don’t know of any responsible adult, that would post a photo of a child on-line and pretty much say she asked for it.  She knew she was being photographed.  She’s no longer a child, and it seems people want her to stay a little girl on the Disney channel.  Yes, she’s been photographed in what some would call provocative photos.  In particular, with a sheet wrapped around her, dancing up against an older man at a party and in her underwear.  Lets face it, there’s a new generation out there with a totally different view and manner of dress.  This young lady is growing up and she’ll make plenty of mistakes as we all have and are still doing. We’re just not in the eyes of the camera. 
There is no acceptable explanation for what is suppose to be a grown man who would post a photo of her in that position.  I wonder how he would feel if that was his daughter? We as adults need to remember that children should not be the objects of ridicule for any reason.  It’s funny, we’re suppose to be the adults and should be examples for our children. Perez Hilton made an attempt to show a 17 year old’s ass, but he ended up being the biggest one.
Filed Under: Hollywood, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

I Want Candy Mommy

March 26, 2010 by

I want candy and I know where to get it. Cohen Stone just couldn’t resist this glass case filled with sweets and teddy bears. He needed to satisfy his sweet tooth, so he managed to climb inside the machine and eat until his heart and tummy was content. You’re saying what, right? Can you believe it. He figured out how to climb inside the machine, unfortunately he couldn’t figure out how to climb out.

This adorable 2 year old toddler was at a party with his mother. She was playing with him in the arcade area, and turned for a few minutes to assist with the food coming to their table, and when she turned around Cohen had disappeared. Thinking that he couldn’t possibly have gone far in that time frame she searched the room. To her surprise, Cohen was in the glass enclosed case filled with candy and teddy bears. Kyra, Cohen’s mother, said she initially thought he had climbed through an opening in the back. When she checked the back there was no opening.  She than searched the top of the machine, to her surprise there was no opening there either.  The only way in was the opening where you collect your candy and/or toys.

When I read the article, I was thinking how that could be possible.  How could a toddler maneuver their way inside that opening.  Well, anyone who has a toddler or has raised one knows that they can end up in the most unbelievable situations.  I remember my nephew getting his head stuck between the banister rails at my house.  I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how he got his head between the railing, but he did. 

Cohen once again proved that a toddler can wiggled their way into anything.  Frightened Kyra called a locksmith to open the hatch door.  While the locksmith was at work, they kept the toddler occupied and cool by opening the chute so they could blow air through it and by having Cohen eat one of the lollipops and throwing the teddy bears down the chute.  Kyra said she phoned her husband to tell him what happened, but he initially thought she was joking.  I think I would have thought the same way.  He finally heard the fear in her voice and realized it wasn’t a joke. 

This brave mom captured the experience on video once she felt confident that her son would be removed safely.  Can you image watching this family video on a Friday or Saturday night.  Thank goodness the toddler was removed safely.  It will be a long time before I will be able to walk by one of those machines and not think of him.  I’ll be holding my grandson’s hands a little tighter when we encounter one as well.

As your child wiggled their way into an unbelievable and heart felt situation?  Tell us about it, we would love to hear from you.

Filed Under: arcades, birthday parties, candy machines, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Career Women Make Bad Mothers

January 7, 2010 by

Career Women What’s your thoughts now that you’ve read this advertisement? I was offended since I am and have been a career women and mother for the pass 32 years. I take pride in my role as a mother, and I also take pride in my career. I’ve worked hard being the best that I can be at both. It’s pretty sad that in 2010 women have to endure this. 


A company called Outdoor Advertising Association (OAA) used this slogan in England as a part of their campaign to promote outdoor advertising. I’m baffled as to how this slogan received approval and thousands of dollars were set aside to plaster it on the side of buses, buildings and billboards. How could you not think that it would be offensive to working women. Well, it looks like OAA just sent thousands of dollars and their bullshit slogan down the toilet. They are being forced to pull the advertisement, and in my opinion rightfully so. The intent was to spark a debate, and encourage people to voice their opinion on a website. Instead they entered into a war with working mothers. 

Not all women have a choice in being a Stay At Home Mom.  Our economy has forced many women into the work force.  They feel bad enough, they don’t need to see buses and billboards that make them feel worst.  On the other hand, many women have made a conscious decision to enter the work force.  They enjoy having their own pay checks and contributing to the household.  Does this make them a bad mother?  I don’t think so. I choose to have a career.  I have a beautiful daughter who grew up understanding that women have choices today.  I taught her to always stay true to who she is and to do what is best for her.  Many women have made the mistake of losing themselves in their relationships or putting everything and everybody before them and in the end they don’t know who they are.


My daughter watched me progress in my career.  I traveled, continued my education and still managed to keep my house in check.  I also checked her homework, transported her back and forth to ballet lessons, and any other school activity she was involved in.  She received 3 meals a day and quality time with me.  As a matter of fact, we still have mother/daughter day.  She choose to end her career and stay at home with her son.  Did you notice the word “choose”.  He turned 2 recently, so she is now working outside the home part time and working on her Masters Degree. 
I resent anyone calling me a bad mother because I choose to have a career.  Do you see my middle finger OAA?  Yep, it’s for you.  If that’s not enough, I have a big ass that you can kiss.  How do you like me now.  My career afforded my daughter many opportunities that she would not have had otherwise.  My career put her through an out of state college.  It also provided trips to Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  She still talks about these trips to this day.  She made life time friends as a result of these experiences.  My career contributed to a better life for her as a whole. 
Are you a working mother?  If you are or aren’t, we would love to hear your opinion on this advertisement.  Thank you for the opportunity to vent. 

Photo courtesy of Daily Mail

Filed Under: careers, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Super Mom Gives Birth and Serves Dinner Hours Later

January 5, 2010 by

Do you think you’re a Super Woman? Here’s a test – could you deliver a baby and serve a turkey dinner 2 – 3 hours later? Paula Thomas shown with her new daughter Lexi accomplished this feat. Can you believe it!  This lady put the Christmas turkey in the oven while having contractions.  When the contractions were 3 minutes apart, at 12:35 p.m., she asked her husband to take her to the hospital.  She delivered a beautiful 7 lb. 7 oz. baby girl, Lexi, at 1:45 p.m., and by 3:00 p.m. she was home basting the turkey.  Now who’s super woman?  She gets my vote. 


Paula has 3 other children, Caitlin and Gabby, both six, and Reece who is three.  Paula said, “I really wanted my Christmas dinner – I was starving.” LMAO!  After 8 hours of labor and giving birth to a 7 lb. 13 oz baby girl, I was stitched from one end to the other.  I sat on a doughnut for weeks.  I didn’t want to walk let alone fix a turkey dinner.  I was too busy moaning over my breast feeling like bricks and trying to figure out how I was going to raise my infant daughter. The only person getting food in my house was my daugher you can believe that shit. 

This lady gives super woman a new meaning.  I hope mom and baby are doing well, but there is no turkey on the face of the earth that would have made me leave my hospital bed and new daughter.  My husband would have been at my mom’s wrapping up a plate of turkey and the trimmings so he could bring it to me at the hospital, lol.  He wouldn’t have seen a golden brown turkey on a platter or a heaping helping of mashed potatoes and gravy for months.

Woman are such amazing creatures.  I may be a little biased because I am one, but seriously we hold it down.  There is nothing that we can’t do, and we will be running this country in the near future.  What man could accomplish this?  I love what Barack Obama said about Michelle Obama, “My wife does everything that I do except she does it in high heels”.  I love it.  What do you think of this super mom?  We would love to hear from you.

Filed Under: birth stories, child birth, Christmas dinner, giving birth, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Lock Up My Thieving 6 Year Old Please

December 24, 2009 by
 

Would you turn your 6 year old in for stealing a pack of stickers? Would you allow the cops to place them into the squad car and haul them off for shoplifting? Check out this video. A mom wanted to teach her 6 year old a lesson for shoplifting, so she turned her daughter into store security. To enforce the lesson, they called the cops and placed her in the squad car.When I saw the video my response was wow. I asked myself if I would have gone to that extreme.  I never had a problem with my daughter stealing, but I certainly would have wanted to teach her a lesson. I’m thinking my solution would have been to make my daughter put the stickers back since we were still in the store and I would have further explained that stealing is wrong we must pay for items that we take from a store. 

I’ve heard of parents using this tactic and the cops playing along. I’m also wondering where a 6 year old learned how to steal.  Her sister told on her, so they’re obviously being taught right from wrong.  I also wonder why she just didn’t ask her mother for the stickers. 
Whatever the reason, I hope she learned a lesson.  Children usually steal to get even, to get more attention, or so they can give themselves or someone else a gift.  It seems that this little girl was stealing for herself, so I’m wondering if it was for attention or she’s feeling deprived at home in some way.  In addition to teaching her child a lesson, maybe mom should take a look at herself and what’s going on inside her home.  She may get to the root of the problem, and not have to deal with this action again. 
 
Have you had a problem with your child or children stealing?  Do you think this mom was wrong in the way she handled this situation?  How would you have handled it?  Please leave us a comment, we would love to hear your opinion.

Filed Under: child thieves, children who steal, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

The Blizzard of 2009

December 23, 2009 by



Last week-end The Weather Channel forecast a blizzard and posted a winter storm warning for my area. Now if that isn’t a sign that winter has officially arrived, I don’t know what is. I decided to spend the day at the office and later head out to the grocery store. Never go to the grocery store when they’re calling for a blizzard unless you’re prepared to take a few elbows or become engaged in a fight over a shopping cart, parking space or the last gallon of milk or pack of Charmin. That’s just how it goes. I have concluded that I love drama. Why else would I have waited until the eve of the blizzard to enter into the danger zone. I must admit that it was uneventful, I was able to throw the few items that I needed into the cart and slipped out of the parking lot unnoticed by the idiots arguing a few vehicles down. Rather than head home, I decided to fill the car up and head to Michael’s. I would occupy my time during the blizzard blog hopping and knitting after preparing a crock pot of potatoes and pork chops. I had made homemade vegetable soup earlier and placed a few containers in the freezer. I pulled a container of soup to defrost. There’s nothing better than homemade soup on a cold, snowy day.

Their forecast was correct, snow fall started at approximately 10:00 pm. The local weather station called for approximately 2.5 feet of the white stuff. Part of me dreaded the event, but another part of me was excited. Our last blizzard was in 2003. We had approximately 3 feet dumped on us at that time. I made sure the shovel and rock salt was on the front porch and said let the show begin. I took the picture shown above at mid-night. My reindeer and bushes are now covered.



The storm ended after dumping 2 feet of snow. It was a beautiful sight. This is a picture of my storage buildings and a barn that sits behind them the next day. I wish my grandson was here to enjoy making snow angels and building Frosty. I’m hoping we will have a little left when he arrives December 28 for a week.

This is a picture of one of my decks the next morning. I’m so glad my decks and table are strong.

This is a picture of some of the evergreens along my back yard. They were beautiful. I enjoyed the event, but I’ve had enough snow to last for the next 10 years. One thing that I have noticed is that children don’t enjoy the blizzards the way I used to when I was growing up, at least in my neighborhood. When I was growing up, we spent the day sled riding and making snowmen. I remember going through old cloths trying to find the perfect hat and scarf and looking for branches for our snowman’s arms. We also stole mom’s carrots for his nose. We had a coal stove in the kitchen, so our snowman truly had coal black eyes. We used a licorice stick for his mouth. I remember my father giving us sandpaper to sharpen the runners on our Lightning Guiders, sleds, so they would move faster. We stayed outside until we were damn near frozen. When our feet could no longer move, we thawed by the stove and sipped hot chocolate. Oh they were the good ole days. Mom spent hours making homemade vegetable soup too, which we devoured in minutes.

I did not see one child build a snow man or go sled riding in the neighborhood this past week-end. I would bet my paycheck they’re on the computer or playing some computer game. Listen up children, get off the computer and put your video games away. You’re missing out on some great memories.

How did you spend your days during snow storms?  How do your children spend their days when it snows?  Leave us a comment.

Filed Under: blizzards, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,