Yep, Bath, I reckon we get together a Junie posse for next year!
I watched the 60 minutes story on attachment parenting tonight - well, I missed the start of it, but my mum rang me to say it was on. What a load of ****e! How could any self-respecting story on attachment parenting NOT feature a single mention of Dr William Sears?? I get the feeling they rang around different paeds until they found one who doesn't like the idea of attachment parenting and went with him. The questions the reporter asked of the women were not only stupid (i.e Reporter: would you smack your child? Me: Well, who actually advocates smacking without being reported to the police??), but really insulting. The mothers gave good responses, though - like the one about extended breastfeeding where the reporter asked if it was more about the parent than the child and the mother replied "You can't force a child to breastfeed". The mothers probably were also not told that the angle of the story would be that they are doing their kids 'damage', according to this paed they had. They put a perverse twist on things. They also had the idea that attachment parenting is a single method subscribed to by anyone who says they attachment parent - "they also believe in something called elimination communication". Crap. Some parents do, most don't. They also seem to be under the impression that attachment parenting involves having no rules, no boundaries, never saying no, and being anarchistic in general. What a farcical idea. I can't believe that the paed really believes that attachment parenting is harmful to children! What a crock! Our kids and society is in far more danger from kids who come from families who don't care what their kids are doing, who REALLY set no boundaries cos they don't care enough, who let their kids loose on the world. I know, I live in an area full of them and my train line goes through these areas, too - hence my hesitation to travel after certain times...when these kids would otherwise be at home with parents who give a damn. And that's the other thing. Parents who do not attachment parent are not automatically parents who advocate smacking, wean at 6 months (or before), never pick up their children when they cry...yet the 60 Minutes would have you believe this is the case. They were out to make a mockery of the attachment parenting 'weirdos' and didn't even consult anyone who might actually advocate AP and ask them why. This is why I don't watch TV!! I can't stand how it appeals to the lowest common denominator and it drives me nuts that heaps of people watch the tube and take in the 'information' without questioning the angle, the motivation, the research. Unfortunately, information on TV cannot be trusted. And that's why mine spends 99.99999% of the time switched off and if I'm interested in something I'll research pros and cons myself!
Rant over.
Enigma - Oscar IS getting bigger in the HAB, but I can still leave him in there and let him sleep there. I find, however, that doing my 'home duties' with him in there is not as comfortable anymore, so I put him down on the bed or in the bassinette once he's asleep. It gets him to sleep quicker than the shoulder sling does. And yep, you can sit down with them in it and asleep - I watched a film at the cinema last week with him in it Also, I can sit on the couch and watch a DVD without needing to take him out (cos I'm not taking all his weight whilst I'm sitting). Perhaps you should look at the Ergo carrier instead, though. It can take the weight of older kids and is probably a good one to use from this age if you haven't been really using a sling till now. The Mothersdirect website (add the www's and .com.au in your address bar) has them for sale, and so does finnstarz - don't know if they are priced differently on each site. I've seen them in action and I might get one for later in the year, or request it for Christmas. You can wear them on the front or the back.
Ok, gonna try to watch this DVD so that I can have a bath later with Oscar...