IntenseDebate - OffbeatAriel

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Things are going to be... · 2 replies · +1 points

God, the You'll SEEEEE thing is such a pet peeve of mine. I wrote about it on Offbeat Bride:http://offbeatbride.com/2010/01/fear-mongering-yo... ... but it was even worse when I was pregnant. I had this one coworker who looooved to tell me about how AWFUL it all was. YOU'LL SEEEEEE. UG!!!!

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Cloth Diaper Confessio... · 0 replies · +1 points

Totally. As discussed before:http://offbeatmama.com/2010/01/obsessed-with-clot...

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - When my son met Kate Moss · 1 reply · +1 points

OOH YES! Option 3: Dr. Seuss Character. :)

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - What I learned from ou... · 0 replies · +1 points

Yeah, this Van is the realization of a MAJOR fantasy for both Dre & I. Of course it's already been towed TWICE in the three week's we've owned it, but that's all part of having VW camper. :)

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Why I'm over and done ... · 1 reply · +1 points

I had some really interesting conversations with my mom about breastfeeding dogma -- she helped me see how, given what they were up against back in the '70s, the Le Leche League-style BREAST IS BEST stridency was really important. When you're trying to turn around a cultural trend, a little dogma and hardcore activism goes a long way. But now that breastfeeding is much more the norm, that dogmatic attitude can actually be damaging. It really helped me to understand some of the strident "lactivism" once I had the larger historical/cultural context in mind...

Also, even as a breastfeeding mother, I gotta say that having a can of formula in the kitchen cabinet did wonders for my sanity. Even though we haven't had to use it yet, just knowing that it's there helps lighten the mental burden of "omg, my body is responsible for nourishing my son."

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - My growing boy and the... · 0 replies · +1 points

Eliza, I totally appreciate your perspective here. This is something I think about a LOT, actually ... how ultimately, as offbeat as you may be, you're raising a child that needs to function within the larger society. You can work to imbue your kids with a sense of questioning the status quo and hearty independence, but above all you need to equip them with the tools they need to find their place in the culture around them.

Also, there's a big issue of CHOICE here. In my comment, I noted that while I love dressing Tavi is bright colors now, at some point he may want to blend in with the other little drab-dressed boys at school, in which case I'll buy him a little brown hoodie and olive cargo pants. Ultimately, it's his life and gender identity, and while I can work to give him a level playing field where flowered pants are as viable an option as olive cargos, it's his decision which he wants to wear.

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Norwegian DILF rocks t... · 0 replies · +1 points

And then there's this one:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9DnlR7QZl0

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Norwegian DILF rocks t... · 0 replies · +1 points

It looks like a Moby-style wrap:http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_0?rh=...

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - Norwegian DILF rocks t... · 2 replies · +1 points

Yeah, I admit I spent half an hour watching Torstein's vids. Here are a few of my favorites:
Jumping on your baby = HILARIOUS!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Ho5HgaDnE
Old man face = SLAYS ME!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxYGUbbUppw
Aurora demands pasta = CUTENESS!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45M1hvPpYUY
Aurora all grown up cooking eggs and chatting in Norwegian = ADORABLE!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js3ryL-aGXY

14 years ago @ Offbeat Mama - My growing boy and the... · 2 replies · +1 points

This post really strikes home for me. Now that I have a boy, I'm fascinated by the gendering of color ... yes we all know about pink for girls and blue for boys, but it's to the point where it almost feels like bright colors in general are gendered as feminine -- boy's clothes are so frequently in shades of brown, grey, blue, evergreen, maroon, etc. Girl clothes are yellow and pink and red and bright green. It's super frustrating for a color junkie like me.

For now, I dress Tavi in ridiculously bright colors, but I'm convinced that before long he'll be rolling his eyes at me and asking for some nice navy cargo pants and a brown shirt.

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