The recent (and controversial) Time Magazine cover on parenting has gotten celebrities talking about mommy-hood. Hollywood has always had abundant advice for us common folk: how to lose weight and manage money, for example, but some of the views on child-rearing are pretty out there. One of the first to speak out in defense of the mother featured on Time’s cover (shown breast-feeding her elementary-schooler) was girl rocker Alanis Morisessette. She’s a proponent of attachment parenting, the name given to parents who let children decide for themselves when certain stages should end, such as co-sleeping, bathing together, and the ultimate level of closeness — nursing. Some of us may think these things need to come to an end long before times tables are part of the daily ritual, but Alanis claims that rushing things hurts both the parent and the child. Her reasoning makes sense; developing trust and closeness at an early age may dispel insecurities later on. But are some celebs taking it too far?
Alicia Silverstone released a now infamous video of her eating her lunch…then opening wide so her ten-month old son could taste the pre-chewed food out of her mouth. She calls it natural, hygenic, healthy, and a host of other things. But is litttle Bear going to lunge for mouth-on-mouth Mom contact everytime Alicia has a tasty snack? Isn’t that going to get a little creepy at football practice? The rich and famous can justify their behavior, parents stuck in the carpool line will be subject to a first-hand serving of judgment. Judgment which, having gagged through that video, I think may be justified.
Why can’t mother/actresses take a page from Angelina? The most famous thing about her brood is the size, and she’s kept her parenting habits and tricks respectfully under wraps. Cheers, Mrs. Pitt-to-be. Keep up the modesty and tact.
