Father says wife was hassled about breastfeeding at Six Flags America

These stories used to annoy before, but even more so since becoming a father. Why are people so scared of boobies and babies?

...it might lead to dancing?

All good things come in pairs. No offense to the ladies, but I want to ride Superman and the Wild One.

I'm finding more and more that this isn't so much an indictment on park policies as it is an indictment on staff training. This should be addressed from an HR perspective during the orientation and training process.

My wife preferred finding the "comfort stations" of parks (Disney has terrific ones) but I don't pass judgment on the women who choose to do it where ever they please. Now, if you are at a playground then you can't expect young kids to understand completely but there are plenty of ways to handle that even.

Jeff said:
These stories used to annoy before, but even more so since becoming a father. Why are people so scared of boobies and babies?

Maybe they thought since the "baby" was 2, he should be drinking from an official Six Flags sippy cup. And do they mean 2 as in, he just turned 2 last week, or 2 as in he's going to be 3 next month? I admit I don't know much about this, but isn't there a point where the customer gets cut off?

Yeah, really. Are you allowed to bring your own beverages into Six Flags?

I'm guessing if they come in attached, fleshy dispensers, they have to give you an exception. :)

The WHO encourages breastfeeding to two years or longer, but of course it depends on what the mother is capable of, and what the baby will take. The health benefits are pretty high for the mother and the baby. We had to stop before the end of the first month due to various issues, and believe me, having to do that was not a happy thing for anyone. It's such a powerful and amazing thing.

Ok, I'm going to say it. It would bother me to see a 2-year old breastfeeding openly at a park (or anywhere else.) If that makes me a bad person, so be it. I'm sure there are many other things for that list, too. :)

But yeah, I would move on, obviously, and wouldn't make a stink about it or anything like that. But it would make me a little uncomfortable.

RatherGoodBear said:
Maybe they thought since the "baby" was 2, he should be drinking from an official Six Flags sippy cup. And do they mean 2 as in, he just turned 2 last week, or 2 as in he's going to be 3 next month? I admit I don't know much about this, but isn't there a point where the customer gets cut off?

You bring up a point that illustrates, to me, one of the paradoxes of modern life.

We now generally accept that breastfeeding is best and natural and beautiful and all that good stuff, but we also have a social stigma about how long breastfeeding is acceptable.

The current worldwide average for length of breastfeeding is 4 years. The natural self-weaning cycle for children is generally cited as 3-4 years of age. Imagine the reaction to a mother publicly breatfeeding a 4 year old.

The juxtaposition between the ideas that breastfeeding isn't a taboo and is natural & preferred and the idea of a social standard that dictates an artifical point where it no longer is socially acceptable is kind of fascinating to me.

EDIT - everyone slipped in on me while I typed.

We're Americans. We're repressed. ;)

Not to mention the powerful baby food and formula industry.

I'd be a bit uncomfortable - but hey, that's my problem, not mom's or the baby's. Let em do what they want to do....

Carrie M. said:
Ok, I'm going to say it. It would bother me to see a 2-year old breastfeeding openly at a park (or anywhere else.)

But doesn't your motherly instinct tell you it's OK??

;)

I told ya, I don't have one of those. At 2-years old I would fully expect my kid to be able to manage money by saving birthday/holiday gift money and using it to purchase his/her own drinks at the park.

Toys-R-Us....psssh....

birdhombre said:

Carrie M. said:
Ok, I'm going to say it. It would bother me to see a 2-year old breastfeeding openly at a park (or anywhere else.)

But doesn't your motherly instinct tell you it's OK??

;)

Mine doesn't and I get called a "mother" now and then LOL - but hey, some folks just feel uncomfortable....

^ I was just making a poor reference to another thread. :)

When I go to the movies should I be allowed to openly speak aloud during the movie and blatantly disregard those who I may be annoying? Maybe breastfeeding mothers should show a little more discretion out of respect for those who might take offense. The world is a better place when you think of your neighbor before yourself. People have gotten so self centered.

I'm all for open boobies at the parks ;) Then again, I'm just a dirty old man.