The female gaze

Plasma for baby

Well, maybe not a plasma but a new study out today says that 20 percent of kids under age 3 have TVs in their room. Umm, okay. I mean who are these people that they sample?

I am feeling secure in my parenting knowing we only have one TV set in our house. And it's in the family room. (Extra points). Surely 4 laptops and 2 PCs all DVD ready in a 1400 square foot home with two adults and 2 kids under 10 can't count .. .... .

From the Chicago Tribune story:

The number of shows aimed at babies has exploded in the last decade, with video titles such as "Brainy Baby" and "Baby Einstein" joined last year by BabyFirstTV, billed as the first satellite channel catering to infants. Makers of the shows often bill them as educational aids, though researchers say there is no solid evidence to back such claims.

Nothing like a good guilt study to come out on a Monday.

Outsourcing breast milk

"Outsourcing breast milk" from Time online is something I had to click on to read more. While I have been informed of the trend to order breast milk online, I wasn't remotely aware that a milk-share (really breast-share) with neighbors or the outsourcing of wet nurses was a thing.

Impressive and interesting.

Kids . ..check, career. ..check, friends . ..

Jill Hudson Neal from the Washington Post really puts the making-mommy-friends thing in perspective:

Let's be honest, networking is really another word for interviewing. Moms are interviewing each other to see which ones fit best with their family's lifestyle. The best you can hope for is that everyone gets along -- the kids like each other and the moms enjoy each other's company. Worst case scenario, the interview ends with a "Don't call us. We'll call you," and you're back to pounding the schoolyard pavement.

Why does it have to be so hard to make parent-friends? Why is it a contest? Why do I care if I continually get snubbed by the Mommy Mafia? (Why can't I grow up?) I suppose it's the same reason it has been hard to make girlfriends my WHOLE LIFE. They are my BFF or they hate me.