> One thing I've heard some mothers say is
> that they want to wean by one year because it's "too hard to get them to
> stop" after that.  This story and the reaction sort of verifies this fear.

But it is not too hard to get them to stop IF they are allowed to wean
when they (the child) is ready.  It is when the child is not ready to
wean and the mother wants to/needs to wean,  that 'problems' occur and
the theory/old wives tale about hard to wean children comes up.  Many
mothers I know through LLL who have allowed their children to wean on
their own schedule had no problems.  The kids just naturally slowed down
their nursing until Mom couldn't even remember when the last time was.
No tears, no tantrums, lonely nights crying wondering if you did it
right. When a child's needs are met they grow up and into the next
phase.
  I am trusting that my sons needs are getting met, as he is almost 5
and still nurses 2-3 times a day.  Some days he forgets, other days he
nurses alot (especially when sick, as he has been for the last week).  I
too felt much sadness for the poor little girl in this poem and not a
fair bit of anger towards the mother who didn't seem to me was paying
any attention to her child's obvious need for a slower weaning. Yes, in
this society 3 years is quite an extended period of time for nursing,
but given the research that Katherine Dettwyler has done, 3 is the early
age for weaning and 7 is older age, so really this mother was
prematurely weaning her daughter.
--
Robyn Paull
****************
LLL Leader
Mommy to Morgan  (4.5 yrs) and Siobhan (21 months old)
My Tandem Nursing Kids

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