tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post112134876680776685..comments2024-01-01T09:20:22.363-05:00Comments on Brutal Women: Raising Children, or Lack ThereofUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121911218075529172005-07-20T22:00:00.000-04:002005-07-20T22:00:00.000-04:00Followed Dr. B. over here, and she's right on targ...Followed Dr. B. over here, and she's right on target about work. The whole idea of an 8-hour shift in which you're constantly "on" and your kids have to be stashed somewhere being taken care of by professionals, is completely anathema to the way human beings actually function. And it's only in the past few centures that most people have been expected to function that way. Hunter-gatherer Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121623047766624892005-07-17T13:57:00.000-04:002005-07-17T13:57:00.000-04:00I'm a parent of two elementary-aged sons and I am ...I'm a parent of two elementary-aged sons and I am extremely conflicted about parenting, mostly because of the expections I had of what being a parent meant and how my actual parenting style differs. I expect a lot from my children, socially speaking. When I see them interact with other children I realize how different my approach is than the norm in my community. <BR/><BR/>I hate working because Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121496079577896562005-07-16T02:41:00.000-04:002005-07-16T02:41:00.000-04:00There's a book I reviewed just recently that handl...There's a book I reviewed just recently that handles just this topic - The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood by Sharon Hays. It's about a decade old - was written in 1997 - but it's still a damn good read. <BR/><BR/>I agree with your assertion that children are both venerated and shut out from society. So much effort goes into protecting, and preserving their childish innocence (whatever Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121399725368997972005-07-14T23:55:00.000-04:002005-07-14T23:55:00.000-04:00I like the ideas you've presented for your story, ...I like the ideas you've presented for your story, but if you're bringing chldren that young into working, I think Bitch PhD is onto something with the more organic workplace in which allowances are made for the distractability of very small children. Indeed, a healthy respect should be accorded to the needs of grown people to have free time away from work in which to relax, socialize with family Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121395849750214332005-07-14T22:50:00.000-04:002005-07-14T22:50:00.000-04:00Hmmm . . . not perfect, but I think you might be o...Hmmm . . . not perfect, but I think you might be on to something. I would say that 5 or so is too young to be working, though; their time would be better spent playing and learning. Work tends to be tedious in one way or another--if they do anything of the sort, it ought to be less "work" and more "hands-on learning experience;" both work and play should have a big focus on learning.<BR/><BR/>IAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121379472257224322005-07-14T18:17:00.000-04:002005-07-14T18:17:00.000-04:00Any number of single people I know have complained...Any number of single people I know have complained at one time or another that society is *too* focused on children, specifically insofar as popular entertainment seems in the broad strokes to be incresingly focused on the idealization of children and the "dumbing-down" of various media such that it renders the market space for adult (not "adult") entertainment relatively marginal.<BR/><BR/>The Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121365073846463242005-07-14T14:17:00.000-04:002005-07-14T14:17:00.000-04:00One of my big hobby horses is that society, includ...One of my big hobby horses is that society, including the workplace, needs to be more accommodating of <A HREF="http://lamom.blogs.com/lamom/2005/02/another_day_at_.html" REL="nofollow">children</A>  and <A HREF="http://lamom.blogs.com/lamom/2005/05/the_pregnancy_e.html" REL="nofollow">childbearing</A>. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>Posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://lamom.blogs.com" RELAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121357454252684142005-07-14T12:10:00.000-04:002005-07-14T12:10:00.000-04:00I think your ideas are especially interesting cont...I think your ideas are especially interesting contrasted with the way kids are looked upon in Norway, where I live (I'm an expat American). Here in Norway it's seen as extremely important that kids are allowed to be kids for as long as possible, and parents seem to favor a laissez-faire style of child-rearing that makes Norwegian kids singularly irritating to be around. There was recently an Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7463512.post-1121354595596557212005-07-14T11:23:00.000-04:002005-07-14T11:23:00.000-04:00Bless you for being someone without kids who reali...Bless you for being someone without kids who realizes that kids are part of society.<BR/><BR/>Re. your utopian matriarchy; I think that expecting kids as young as five to be sent away to school or jobs might be a little much--kids that age are very distractable and just keeping them on task is absolutely maddening. But they do like to *help*. Keep in mind that in a utopian state (is yours Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com