>So, I think she's (Madeleine l'Engle) a little off track here.  It was
>usually upper-class women in north and western Europe who thought that
>breastfeeding was disgusting and dirty, cow-like, peasant-like, etc., and
>who therefore employed wet nurses.  And in those places where wet nurses
>were common, children were treated like commodities -- heirs, for example --
>rather than as living breathing human beings to love and cherish.  The focus
>in those societies was on the husband-wife bond, not the mother-child bond,
>and the upper class woman had to be "free" to help her husband, entertain,
>schmooze with other high-society ladies, etc.  She didn't have time for the
>mundane tasks of childrearing, which were greatly devalued, so she foisted
>them off on slaves or servants.  This is just the opposite of most of human
>prehistory and history, and most of the world today, where childrearing is
>still regarded as *the most important thing a woman does with her life."
>
>Whaddya think??

I'm not sure I believe, at least in the US, "that childrearing is still
reguarded as *the most important thing a woman does with her life"  I
sometines read John Rosemonds column in the newspaper and he seems very
much in favor of children being last in the family always, spouses first.
I think this attitude is overwhelmingly here.  There is so much in this
society that says seperation is best.  Bottles, cribs, pacifires, baby
swings, all this "stuff" to keep baby occupied while Mom does her thing.
Also if we as a society really valued our children more would stay home to
raise them and not plop them in daycare at 4 to 6 weeks. Our motives are
some the same schmoozing with others and entertaining, but also being able
to work to afford what everyone else seems to have. As a stay at home Mom I
feel little value outside my immediate family and circle of close friends.
So daycare centers etc are those slaves and servents of those upper-class
women, ABM and bottles are the wet nurses of that time.  We have just moved
it from the home setting with those family servents whom probably were
present for long term to the warehouses of daycare centers where the
employees come and go with little thought to the children.
So I really don't think we are so far away from vthat time you are speaking
of where the children are valued as commodities---heirs.  Perhaps are
values on them are different not so much as commodities but something
different.

Just some rambeling thoughts.

Belinda Bohnert <[log in to unmask]> LLLLeader, mom to Joshua (6/84),
Chapin (6/88), Gretchen (9/91), Annaliese (11/93) Due (11/96). Married to
Craig for 14 yrs.  In Indianapolis, Indiana