Time Magazine Cover Shows Mom Breastfeeding 4-Year-Old Son: Did They Go Too Far?

by SodaHead Living Posted 2012/05/10 22:00:00

Related Topics: Time Magazine Cover, Time, Breast-feeding, Breastfeeding, Mom, Mother, 4-year-old, Son, Attachment Parenting, 21, Philosophy, 2012, Motherhood, Kids, Blonde

Read More

647 votes
Read all 1,256 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	462 votes	71%
	No	185 votes	29%

If you're interested in these sorts of things, you've probably heard of "attachment parenting," in which mothers breastfeed for longer than the recommended six months to one year, partake in "co-sleeping" with their children and wear the kids in BabyBjorns. Well, Time magazine chose to take a look at the philosophy for their May 21 cover story, which they illustrate by featuring a mother breastfeeding her nearly 4-year-old son on the cover.

While some are calling the image overly sensational, it does illustrate the parenting method espoused by Dr. Bill Sears. Time takes a look at how Sears came to his philosophy, and interviews moms who believe in his theories, like "cover mom" Jamie Lynne Grumet. Of course, the mom they chose for the cover is 26, blonde, slim and attractive (we're just sayin'...). Do you think the cover goes too far?

+33

Add a comment above

Beat Magnum True Hero 2012/05/10 22:07:26 (edited)

Yes

+23
Breast feeding a 4 year old? If your kid is big enough to stand and ask you for food, he's big enough to use a fork.

Also, where are the fathers in all of this? I can't imagine there are very many men on board with this, and if they are, they're lying.
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead Living

Wally-M... to DebraJM... 2012/05/11 20:28:35

+1
That's ridiculous. I bet you like Obama's big brother program.

reply
ehrhornp to Wally-M... 2012/05/11 21:02:41

+2
sweet Debra has blocked me but it is curious that she wants to throw someone in jail and break up a family. I bet she considers herself a "Christian". lol

reply
mjays to ehrhornp 2012/05/12 00:05:08

+2
Sweet Debra is "holier than thou". Apparently she saw fit to tell me (when she doesn't even know me) that I was not breastfeeding my child long-term for him, but I was doing it for myself because I wasn't able to let him go. Not only is she a "Christian", but now she is also a Dr. of Psychology.

reply
ehrhornp to mjays 2012/05/12 01:02:47

+2
Amazing how some just know what is right for you.

reply
Wally-M... to ehrhornp 2012/05/12 04:52:30

Probably. You know how much they like telling everyone else how to live.

reply
ehrhornp to Wally-M... 2012/05/12 04:55:52

+2
Must flow from their inability to run their lives so they feel that everyone needs "guidance". Pathetic.

reply
DebraJM... to Wally-M... 2012/05/11 22:44:12

+3
Could you tell me what on earth this has to do with Obama?

reply
Wally-M... to DebraJM... 2012/05/12 04:54:55

You think you know how everyone should behave and live. Obummer is trying to force everyone to live as a slave to big brother.

reply
DebraJM... to Wally-M... 2012/05/12 05:34:09 (edited)

+1
Defending that which is morally wrong is what the liberals do. True conservatives speak out against that which is immoral. And it is very immoral to allow a four year old child to suck on his mommy's booby.

reply
Wally-M... to DebraJM... 2012/05/12 05:56:17

Is there a law on the books that says it is immoral? You think it is immoral. The mother obviously doesn't.

By the way, you are also assuming I am a Liberal. Wrong again.

reply
DebraJM... to Wally-M... 2012/05/12 07:31:45

+1
lol... YOU assumed that I was a liberal.

And you do realize that pedophiles do not believe that what they do is immoral. --There really is such thing as right and wrong.

reply
Wally-M... to DebraJM... 2012/05/12 10:14:00

+1
I'll ask you the same question I asked an other know it all. Are you complaining about the abuse and sexual groping being done by the pervert TSA agents. If not, your time would be better spent.

reply
DebraJM... to Wally-M... 2012/05/13 06:59:06

What does the TSA have to do with this topic? Stop trying to divert.

reply
mjays to Wally-M... 2012/05/15 20:58:20

+1
One conservative bashing 2 other conservatives. This 1 conservative gives a bad name to all the others. Nothing like invalidating a point by exaggerating ("And the mother should be in jail."), judging, and playing semantics ("Defending that which is morally wrong is what the liberals do. True conservatives speak out against that which is immoral. And it is very immoral to allow a four year old child to suck on his mommy's booby.") She actually argues very much like a liberal, doesn't she?? She is the type of lady who will end up with a grown daughter or daughter-in-law that ends up doing this very thing. How judgmental will she be then?

reply
PEGGY C to DebraJM... 2012/05/12 06:28:31

+1
Who knows, maybe she will end up in jail.

reply
DebraJM... to PEGGY C 2012/05/12 07:31:52

True...

reply
mjays to DebraJM... 2012/05/15 21:00:18

Laughable and ridiculous

reply
mjays to PEGGY C 2012/05/15 21:00:26

Laughable and ridiculous.

reply
Feria~THEZombieSlayingB!tch... 2012/05/11 19:51:11

Yes

+3
Not because it's breast feeding, but because of the age. I don't think a child should be breast fed at that age. That's just my personal opinion.

However, breastfeeding is natural.

reply
imsmarter to Feria~T... 2012/05/11 20:28:48

World health organization: Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

reply
Feria~T... to imsmarter 2012/05/11 21:34:24

+2
Yes, those are the facts.

However, my opinion is that 4 is too old.

reply
imsmarter to Feria~T... 2012/05/11 21:35:29

good thing he's 3 =)

reply
Feria~T... to imsmarter 2012/05/11 21:37:11

+1
I still find that too old. If you have a problem with that, fine.

reply
mjays to Feria~T... 2012/05/12 00:02:36

+1
I would have said the same thing...until it happened to me. I didn't see my child's age, I saw his emotional need. He stopped at age 4. He is now 9 years old, healthy, confident, and independent. No harm done.

reply
Feria~T... to mjays 2012/05/12 01:54:33

+1
I never said there was any harm I simply stated that I don't think that's what I would do.

reply
mjays to Feria~T... 2012/05/12 02:20:49

No, you said you thought it was too old, and I just wanted to point out that if it's not harmful to the child, what is the difference how old they are? In any case, if that is not what you would personally do, that's different, and I don't have a problem with that either.

reply
Ren93 2012/05/11 19:24:11

No

In my opinion he's old to breastfeed but it's not like if you were going to get a trauma after watching this...

reply
rand 2012/05/11 19:13:01

No

I have no problem with it, though breastfeeding beyond the age of 2 probably serves little purpose in terms of creating a bond. But if it's the only form of birth control, go for it, being aware of the dangers of overindulging the child.

reply
becky.kuntz1 2012/05/11 18:45:05

Yes

+2
this is a private thing it should not be flaunted!

reply
imsmarter to becky.k... 2012/05/12 01:42:45

does this offend you?

reply
LMaree to imsmarter 2012/05/12 07:49:52

no but this does.

reply
imsmarter to LMaree 2012/05/12 15:28:31

+1
that offends me too =(

reply
LMaree to imsmarter 2012/05/12 20:58:15

+1
And yet we have this massive debate about children being to old for human milk and we should be giving them cows milk. Silly isn't it?

reply
imsmarter to LMaree 2012/05/12 23:49:12

lol exactly!

reply
Monstrosity 2012/05/11 18:01:13

Yes

+3
4 years old is too old to breastfeed. More importantly this poor child will be teased mercilessly in school for this. Terrible parent.

reply
mjays to Monstro... 2012/05/11 18:19:22

+2
That's pretty judgemental. I never thought I would, but I also did breastfeed until my child was almost 4. I am not a terrible parent, in fact, I am an attentive, wonderful parent who has strict guidelines in place for my child despite the amount of flexibility I used in his early years.

The poor child will be teased? By whom, and how would they know? At that age, the nursing is not for sustenance, it's for comfort and by force of habit. It's not as if they need mom to come to school and give them lunch.

In hindsight, 4 years old does seem a bit too old. But when you are doing it, it does not. Perception varies greatly within the family, and outside the family. I'm sure you are less judgemental of many other things. Try this one on for size. It's actually turned out to be very good for my child.

reply
DebraJM... to mjays 2012/05/11 20:18:42

+1
Mothers who do that are not thinking of the child. They are thinking of themselves. YOU could not let go of your child!

reply
mjays to DebraJM... 2012/05/11 23:48:40

YOU do not know me from Adam, and anyone who does know me would laugh their ass off at your statement. My child was extremely clingy. Some kids are like that. Any mother of more than 1 child can tell you that some are, and some aren't. Some are born that way, not made that way. It's true that I could not bear to see his anguish when I tried to stop him, then I asked myself what was I trying to stop him for? I couldn't answer that. And at age 9, all I see is a healthy, *independent*, confident, well-adjusted child who is like a little buddy to his mom. So I got my answer, I was trying to stop him for...no good reason, other than to please *perfect*, condescending people like yourself.

reply
DebraJM... to mjays 2012/05/12 00:37:57

+1
As I said, YOU could not let go of your child. YOU are the mother. YOU feared that your child would be upset with you. YOU should have more control than giving into something that is simply not right. NO four year old boy should be sucking on his mommy's booby.

Disgusting!

I feel VERY sorry for your future daughter-in-law!

reply
DebraJM... to mjays 2012/05/12 00:39:43

+2
And one more thing:

One does not have to be PERFECT to know that letting a four year old boy suck on your booby is wrong!

reply