In thinking this is the smuggest article I have ever had the misfortune to read

[mrsshackleton]

"We are so bloody marvellous and everyone else is wrong"

I've never read such a load of judgemental codswallop

Branded Winnie the Poo equipment - OMG!!

Could well be pg hormones, but I cried my eyes out at the thought of that poor girl in the antenatal class loving and adoring her baby and happily and excitedly planning its clothes and nursery to have a lovely Winnie theme, only to be sniggered about by smug bastards in a newspaper.

That really was so utterly obnoxious. Plus to say that someone having a much wanted baby is 'only a banner event' for her and her family after fertility issues.

This is one of the most vile articles I have ever read really.

Has anyone seen letters page of Times today?

Oh, dumb (but genuine) question also... is it a problem if a person lets such a young baby suck milky chocolate off a finger? Babies suck alot of wierd things, and I am thinking of a friend who let her child suck red wine off her finger when he was teething.

Anyabanya- I felt the exact same way, poor love. I just hope their darling babies dot have the same nasty attitude as their parents when yet grow up

YANBU. I must have read at least five articles in the past fortnight on 'how our way of having children is the best and only way' - all, of course, expressing completely different views on the right age/method/number of kids, etc. I even read one by a bloke whose babies went nappy-free and thought it was funny that his ds pooped on the carpet at a friend's wedding!

Each to their own... It just proves that there is no one right way and everyone thinks there's is best.

On the one hand the article is unusually obnoxious (WTF is wrong with Winnie the Pooh? And why can't he spell it?), but on the other, it's only part of a torrent of crap journalistic pontificating, particularly about the family. As I recall, a few years back, journalists used to at least use the experiences of a few friends as a justification for sweeping generalisations. Now they don't even do that. "My own experience is x, therefore everyone should...".

When will people stop trying to justify that their way of parenting is the only way! So they had kids late in life - good on them - it is not a reason to conclude that having children at any other time in your life is wrong or irresponsible as his tone seems to suggest. I had my first at 32 and second at 35 and sometimes wish I had them earlier as I can't believe I waited so long to experience the pure joy and accomplishment that is motherhood. At any age we should all pat ourselves on the back and relish in our role whether we are young, old, wealthy or not, stay at home or working mum - we are all just doing the best we can. And men, fathers or not, have no business to comment on that!

waitingforbedtime, did someone actually say that to you??? Sounds as bad as the man writing this article!!

I feel quite bad, as I realise that I have in my head a combo of Matt Rudd's article in the Times, as well as Billen's - hence my comment about the photo the other day- sorry! Thought Billen's pic looked quite sweet. Still found article smug and superior, I'm afraid, and pretty mean in places. Matt Rudd's one also very irritating.

Anyone who thinks there is some kind of balance that needs to be redressed by pitching into young working class mothers clearly can't have done much reading over the last 30 years.

Smug middle class bullshit. Ra ra ra.

And I agree with the young mum. Everyone does like chocolate.

Maybe in that time they'd also learn to use capitals at the begining of a sentence.
Starting a new thread to create a discussion would probably be better than reviving a months old thread too.

What an ass!
I feel sorry for kids with such a pompous dad! Even if their mother is a saint.

What a smug git. So he's happy with his situation, but why does he feel the need to point out that everyone else is therefore wrong if they choose to live differently from his family? Whoever mentioned over-compensation above was right, I think.

The bit that really got me was where he talked about older mother's bond with the child "they thought they'd never have"!!! So, we should all leave ttc to the last possible moment, so that we will love the baby more?!

What a load of bollocks.

I feel sorry for his mother I would hate for my DC to feel that way about me when they are older

Then again, I had 2 by the time I was 23 so they probably will

How did this thread get resurrected?!

Ah yes I remember this thread from the first time round. Load of shite.

I hope wonder if parenthood has bitten Andrew Bilge-n on his mature arse yet?

I find this article offensive on so many levels , the man clearly has issues towards women is a snob and deeply judgemental .
Winnie the pooh cutlery! The horror! My baby bowls are from the pound shop tommee tippee and they have winnie the pooh on them which don't match anything else and I'm relatively young but I am very laid back about my ds in certain things and I will be strict about others but it is not a age thing it's just my way of bringing up my child .
I feel very sorry for that poor girl being judged by a group of mothers who should know better motherhood can be very hard especially at six weeks.
I would be willing to put miney on the fact he has probably never done night feed and considers child raising and housework to be womens work .

I had my (great big year six ) baby at 22. I was a university graduate (just! finals June, baby August). My health visitor kept on asking my date of birth, and when I started bottle feeding (shock! horror!) READ THE INSTRUCTIONS on the back of the tin to me to "check I could "understand the importance of doing it properly".

Now at 32, I feel too old to have a baby!

I loved Winnie the Pooh when I was child.

I loved Winnie the Pooh when first DS was a baby 13+ years ago, when I was 27.

I still love Winnie the Pooh now I am pregnant with my second and I'm now 40.

I was a single parent for 13 years, recently with DP (known him since I was 15) and I'm happy with the job I've done as a parent so far.

I'm looking forward to having my second (one I never thought I would have) and I have the same views on parenting that I've always had.

What does our age, as Mothers have to do with anything at all? Except maybe, for some, you have a little more energy when you are younger .

I can't see any point to this article to be honest. Perhaps he was just filling his quota and couldn't think of anything else to write about.

Me thinks he should stick to what he knows best, which isn't, in my most humblest of opinions, Motherhood .

I haven't read ALL the article or all the comments here but I for one agree with him.

His mother should have left it much later before having children.

Like MUCH LATER.

Like maybe never.