This sounds wonderful.
I have to give myself a kudos on this same vein. I teach 6th grade,
English, in an inner-city school. Breastfeeding is either viewed as
normal (from those kids who are 1st generation) or sick, but I talk
about it very naturally, and it just works its way into the
conversation. This week we were talking about propaganda, persuasion
techniques, and evidence needed when writing, etc. including the idea
that evidence needs to be adequate, appropriate and accurate, and that
when viewing evidence one must consider the source. My 1st example was
the tobacco industry--would we go to a tobacco company website for
information on how to not smoke or how to quit smoking. The kids got it
right away. My 2nd example was formula companies who produce baby care
books/magazines, and include information regarding breastfeeding. How
accurate, appropriate or adequate would information be given by formula
companies in regards to breastfeeding. These 6th graders got it, and we
discussed breastfeeding with only a few snickers. I can't help but
think that a few of these students will remember this example, not to
mention the idea that I'm talking about breasts and their real use to
these preteens. Oh, the kids then brought up themselves the idea of
the dairy industry promoting milk as producing strong bones, including
the commercial where the man looses his arms because he doesn't drink
milk. And some discussed the idea that they can't drink milk without
getting sick (many African American kids said this). It was a very
interesting conversation in regards to species specific milk, and why
cow's milk might not be our best source of nutrients.
Joylyn
Karen Meade wrote:
> I overheard something today at my local YMCA that made me feel there's
> hope here in the United States that breastfeeding really will begin to
> be seen as the normal way to feed babies...
>
> I was sitting poolside just beind the lifeguard stand nursing my
> toddler (as I do there several times a week without anyone so much as
> raising an eyebrow) as my older two children played in the pool. The
> teenage female guard in the chair called loudly across the pool to
> another teenage female guard asking where the aquatics director was.
> "Is B- in her office." The reply, "No. She went to pump." It was
> stated matter of factly and received the same way. A few minutes
> later, a teenage male guard came out to relieve the guard in the
> chair. He also informed the guard coming out of the chair that the
> aquatics director had gone to pump as he listed the location of the
> on-duty guards. How pleasant it was to see these young people
> discussing the fact that their boss was pumping her breastmilk as if
> it were just something someone does as a matter of course when they
> return to work after having a baby. I'm so glad the aquatics director
> is being so open about pumping. Her staff is very young. Hopefully
> they'll internalize the message that breastfeeding and/or pumping is
> the normal thing to do. The baby in question is 7 weeks old and mom
> just returned to work last week. She's pumping b/c sadly the Y said no
> to her baby staying on site in the short-term baby-sitting room since
> baby would be there more than 2 hours in a row. Mom told me she really
> wishes she could just go nurse the baby instead of pumping, but the
> daycare center is too far away.
>
> Karen Meade
> LLL Leader
> Suburban Philadelphia, PA, USA
>
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