Where does your baby go pooey? and other stuff…
A repost from April 2008 (with a few necessary updates)
I have come to realize something quite interesting and, in my opinion, a little disturbing. It happens everywhere in e-land. In e-mail signatures, forum signatures, Chat rooms, etc.. Many moms out there in web-world define themselves funny-like.
Example similar to one I received today: (name has been changed to protect the senders identity. Though, she seemed pretty bold to state such personal things about herself to a perfect stranger so I don’t think she would care.)
Lana
crunchy, cd, bf, bw, co-sleeping, unassisted homebirthing mom.
tree hugging, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baby wearing, co sleeping, homebirthing without anybody assisting, mom.
I have never in my life had somebody introduce themselves to me in this fashion in the real world and I wonder why so many moms on the web feel the need to describe themselves in this manner.
The fact that I typically breastfeed my babies for 18 months is not anything I feel as worthy to write about in a brief description of myself. Breastfeeding does not define me; and, in my opinion, if a woman finds herself defined by the way she feeds her babies, or where they poop, maybe she needs to find something more to do with her day. Maybe I am wrong, it’s happened before.
Just saying…
And, frankly, the word ‘breast’ is thrown around way too much for my taste, anyway. Unless you’re talking about chicken.
I also think the phrase, ‘baby wearing’ sounds weird. I have an Ergo and I like to pack my babies around but I think stating that I ‘wear my baby’ has a strange ring to it.
Who comes up with this stuff?
I asked my husband if any of his guy buds went around describing themselves in emails, bulletin boards, and forums in this fashion.
goatee having, muscle flexing, kite flying, boot footing, motorcycle chroming, bread loving, flossing dad.
He just laughed at me.
I said, “no, really”.
He said, “no”.
I said, “why not?”
He said, “because it’s stupid”.
Now, I do not think it is so unusual or weird to give a little information about yourself in web-world. Things that may naturally come up in an initial introduction to a new person would be things like;
Where do your kids go to school?
What do you do for a living?
What does your husband do?
Where do you go to church?
I am a stay-at-home, homeschooling mama who is married to an adorable Navy pilot.
I would not, however, say what kind of toilet paper I use, or tell my new acquaintance that my children all sleep in their own beds, or that I prefer refined sugar to, well, just about anything healthy.
I am not necessarily saying it is wrong, just a bit odd in my opinion.
To each their own, I guess.
Mel
bread baking, book reading, diaper blowout cleaning, flavored coffee creamer having, wheat grinding, vertically challenged, Bible reading, organizationally handicapped, lotsa kids having mama.
Tagged with: Just Thinkin'
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LMAO @ this one. Is it strange that I have always wondered what you just wrote…”WHY place that”. I’m a mod of a birthboard and while 99% of us dont go there, title wise, there is that 1% who is the avid fan of saying that she’s big on (funnily) the entire cliche’ you just mentioned.
I too breastfeed my 8m old but the lil bugger also gets the bottle of formula too when I dont have the time to sit and nurse. That, I would say, is the biggest differential on there. So I created my own little soapbox between the Breast Is Best moms and the Formula Feeding moms…Its a blinkie that proudly states “I dont care how you feed your baby…Just as long as youre feeding your baby”
Thanks for the comment and might I say that the little girl in your profile picture is completely adorable!
I love your blinky idea. It is funny, and so very true!
You are so right…in years to come are these the things that will be written on our tombstones? People let the straIngest things define who they are. In some ways I feel it is a way for people to brag about what they do for there children. You know keeping up with the Jones’. I think a lot of times that people forget about what is really important when raising kids, it isn’t about what you give them but what you do for them. All the baby gear in the world won’t show them that you love them. Too bad people couldn’t start bragging about the number of hugs they give to there kids each day, stories they read, walks taken or prayers taught.
I think the other things are a way for some parents to feel better about the fact that they don’t always make time to do the really important things, eitheir because they can’t (work etc..) or because they have more important things to do (TV, computer, out with friends) Just a thought though I could be way off base, but that is what I think whenever I see these signatures.
Hmm. I blogged about this last month. The lady described herself with a lot of the same things then added her political preference. I found it so odd.
I just wanted her cookie recipe, you know?
Love,
your friend
the stay at home mom, diaper buying, home-made cooking, mother of three, fanatic running, bible toting, reserved, sometimes anti-social, stay at home mom, home schooling, and gluten free mamma. Whew! That’s a mouth full!
Haha -
I remembered and reposted that old post today because I recieved a notice with an almost identical signature.
I know it shouldn’t bug me, but it does. Like I said, putting the word breast in a description of yourself just seems wrong.
However, that may have something to do with the fact that I have issues.
Ryan – Dad of 8, Navy pil… this is stupid.
I know!