I wonder how many other aspects of parenting-besides length of
breastfeeding- any of us would feel entirely comfortable revealing to the
general public. Perhaps even in our  group there are dramatic differences in
discipline, reading, nutrition, etc.  Length of breastfeeding is certainly
only one of the (mostly) private parenting decisions we all make.  For
example, I have thought myself to be pretty permissive with night time
sleep.  My 9 year old often falls asleep in our bed and only sometimes gets
moved into her bed later.  I mentioned this to my neighbor whom I was just
getting to know.  I was not at all sure what her reaction might be.  To my
surprise and delight, she responded that her 16 year old son still often
brings his sleeping bag in to her room to sleep on the floor next to her.  I
had felt unsure sharing something about my parenting which is entirely
normal for my family.
I really believe that the "normal" spectrum is wider and deeper than any of
us individually can know.  By sharing our experiences perhaps we can come to
appreciate rather than medicate or diagnose variations which are part  of
being a young human.
Tracy Throckmorton rn ibclc
Portland , oregon

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