There has been a lot of  controversy surrounding today’s issue of TIME Magazine.  A lot of anger, a lot of praise.  As someone who was contacted by TIME about being a subject in this photo shoot, what do I think?
I was late for my La Leche League Canada meeting this morning. Â Not because I was lazy, or Poppet wasn’t co-operating, but rather because I was driving around town trying to find a copy of this week’s TIME Magazine to bring with me. Â I wanted to know how these ladies felt, many of whom are strong proponents of attachment parenting. Â I couldn’t find a copy anywhere. Â Not even at Chapters. Â Some had not put it out, some where trying to figure out where to put it out, and some hadn’t received it yet. Â With no hard copy in hand, I arrived at La Leche in the middle of an animated discussion on this very issue!
When I was contacted by TIME last week, I was told by one of their photo editors that they were doing a feature on Dr. Sears and were hoping to have subjects who adhered to the attachment parenting principles.  They were trying to find women who were “mainstream”, a more contemporary look.  Making it look like attachment parenting is not just something granola crunchers do.  At 18-months old, it was decided that Poppet was not old enough.  They ideally wanted 3-years-old and above.  Sigh.  Oh well, it was an honour to have been personally contacted, and I eagerly waited to see the wonderful story and images that would emerge for this lifestyle choice we make in our own home.  We are a co-sleeping, baby wearing, nursing family.
Attachment parenting is all about nurturing your child.  Learning to respond to their individual needs.  Being close to your child.  Being attached to your child.  You can see on Dr. Sear’s website the images of nurturing that attachment parenting is famous for!  So, with this in mind, what did I think of TIME’s latest cover?
Well, Â I thought when I first saw the cover, “Well! Â That will certainly get people to pick up this issue and learn more about attachment parenting”. Â But there was something about it that really bothered me. Â One lady this morning commented that she felt it showed that extended breastfeeding does not have to be all-encompassing. Â True. Â I agree with that. Â But something still did not sit right with me. Â So here are my thoughts:
1) Â Attachment parenting is about so much more than just extended breast-feeding. Â I was hoping to see some more shots of sling wearing. Â What would have been a great picture would have been to have a toddler in a sling, nursing while the mother was doing something else, like cleaning, or reading.
2) Â There are many parents who have not been successful at breast-feeding, for one reason or another, who are still fiercely loyal to attachment parenting.
3) Â Some of the pictures, rather than showing that extended breastfeeding and attachment parenting are completely normal, rather made it look even more unnatural.
4) THE BIGGEST THING THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST? Â The cover is cold, impersonal, and does not at all emanate the NURTURE that is at the core of attachment parenting.
I can’t help but wonder what Dr. Sears himself thinks of the latest cover of  TIME Magazine himself?
Warmest regards,
{jp}
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Controversy and sensationalism is what they wanted, and that’s what they got with that cover. It’s so over the top.
Courtney~Mommy LaDy Club recently posted..Battle of The Leading Men! Round 2: Robert Downey Jr. vs. Jason Bateman
Are we that disconnected in our culture that we need to promote these types of pictures. Not to mention that we actually need to educate parents on how to love and nurture your children. Parenting 101…need to attend class to show you how to hold your child.
You make a good point about parenting. And I still dislike this picture.
I agree with you. The picture was a sick thing honestly. I am nursing my 18 month old, and while he’s not 3, it’s looks nothing like this picture.
They chose the tough army look to the kid. And a “Oops look, I’m nursing!” expression on him.
A tough look to mom, like “What’s it to you?” THAT is NOT nursing, that IS NOT attachment parenting.
*Sigh* Time got what they wanted, money, SO many people bought this magazine. It’s talked about like crazy. Nothing like a controversial cover to bring in lots of money.
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I wholeheartedly agree with Ashleigh. I nursed my son until he was 2.5 and am still nursing my daughter who is 14 months. I admit I haven’t read the article yet (struggling to find a copy as well!) but the cover makes me so angry. I don’t flaunt it in anybody’s face that I’m nursing a toddler, but why are they out to make me look like some kind of weird freakshow?!! Just stumbled upon your blog via TopMommyBlogs…I’m your newest follower:)
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I am also shocked at the cover for all the reasons mentioned so far (emotional disconnect, not true image of attachment…etc), but also because of the negative reactions, specifically of the stores not sure where to “hide” this issue. I was always a modest nurser, not hiding away in bathrooms but also not letting is all out for others to view in public (purely for self conscious reasons) but the fact that the stores are afraid that the general public will be outraged to see images of something that is natural is disconcerting. I will buy this magazine, and I will leave it out for my children to see and ask questions. Both my children were nursed beyond what is considered by the general public to be acceptable, and both of them understand that breasts are designed for this purpose, to nourish.
So…I have seen a bunch of posts today on this subject. I hate the cover myself. It doesn’t do justice to the fact that they’re promoting breastfeeding past a year but rather (as you mention) make it look ugly by having used a boy who looks far older than 3 and putting him on a chair making him look even older!
I nursed all 3 of my children for a year and did so where I pleased. I have lots of friends who nursed well into the second year; some even longer. I offer them kudos not judgement.
And how cool that you were contacted friend!
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Since all the hoopla over this magazine cover, I have had my breastfeeding moms friends upset at how silly it makes them seem, and then my formula feeding moms friends outraged that they are to seem less of a parent because they didn’t get to breastfeed. I haven’t read the article, I’ve only seen this image, but it seems like there are so many other aspects of parenting that we should be focused on, than boobs!
Ashleigh recently posted..What We’re Reading
Totally agreed! Some women this morning said the exact same thing!
You know I was just talking about that issue cover last night. And I am all for extended parenting and attachment parenting and it made me raise and eyebrow. And I wasn’t exactly sure why. But It really did make me say, that child is too old, not meaning it in a judging way, more in a too old for me way. Because it is a to each her own thing. Whatever works for your family. But that wasn’t exactly it. And reading your post, it came to me. What it really was. It was the child standing on the step stool. That is what it really was. Not the child’s age. If he was snuggled in his mother’s lap, I never would have batted an eye.
You said it perfectly. Attachment parenting is about meeting the emotional needs and the way that picture is set up, there is no emotional connection.
Debi@ The Spring Mount 6 Pack recently posted..Tea Kusmi Tea
I think that’s exactly what bothers me about the cover: that it seems to be less about advocating for extended breastfeeding, and more “look at MY child!” It does seem incredibly impersonal, and set up for sensationalism, rather than advocacy.
Jenn recently posted..Food Friday: Meatballs and Cupcakes
Exactly! That last part is what I’ve been trying to think of how to word. It says it perfectly!
I also said this to my friend who helped promote this cover: “I’m totally for breast feeding. I did it, and I think it’s wonderful and important and natural. However, so is giving birth, but that does not mean that I want to see it spread out on the front of TIME magazine.” What I meant by that, in essence, was that seeing the joy of birth, the sweat, the tears, would be great, but not so much the in-your-face aspect of a woman spread-eagled on a table with their child’s head crowning… KWIM?
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