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Infant feeding

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Original poster

Poster of toddler 'breastfeeding' her doll is apparently 'distasteful, inappropriate and crude'

105 replies

ChairmumMiaow · 21/05/2009 12:06

here

WTF?

Does anyone on here think that a picture of a toddler pretending to breastfeed her doll is anything other than cute?

OP posts:
JodieO · 21/05/2009 12:07

Oh but little girls feeding their dolls with a bottle is acceptable then? Double standards in the extreme.

littlelamb · 21/05/2009 12:09

She said: "The picture is shocking and it isn't normal. Children copy their parents but I don't think any little girls should be breastfeeding their dolls.

Whyever not??? Dolls all come with bottles, what's the difference? My dd is 4 and 'bf's her dolls. I don't see the problem

Original poster
ChairmumMiaow · 21/05/2009 12:10

I think that's my issue - I cannot see what the problem could possibly be unless you think that breastfeeding is shameful, however you do it! (The little girl isn't even showing her 'breasts'!)

OP posts:
LadyOfWaffle · 21/05/2009 12:10

"The picture is shocking and it isn't normal. Children copy their parents but I don't think any little girls should be breastfeeding their dolls"

But they can change pretend nappies, with pretend wee, push pretend prams and feed pretend bottles (and stick them in cars/on horses)? How bizarre. My DS (3) breastfeeds his tiger

wastingmyeducation · 21/05/2009 12:11

Because breasts are sexual innit?

Very cute, but I don't see the point of the poster tbh.

lockets · 21/05/2009 12:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

amybswansea · 21/05/2009 12:14

DS (2.10) offered to breastfeed DD (8 months) the other day ...now that may have made a slightly odd poster

pooka · 21/05/2009 12:16

Oh how bloody ridiculous.

All the anti-comments in there are just

Is crazy. Daft. Stupid. [grr]

Merrylegs · 21/05/2009 12:16

Next time my LO breastfeeds her doll in pretend play I shall tell her she is 'shocking', 'not normal' and 'highly offensive.'

juuule · 21/05/2009 12:22

All my children have 'bf' their teddies at some point.
Unbelievable the comments that the grandma made.

CherryChoc · 21/05/2009 12:22

This is absurd and very sad

CMOTdibbler · 21/05/2009 12:28

My DS likes to bf toys - and I think its totally normal and sweet

How could anyone think it was crude

juuule · 21/05/2009 12:29

"Councillor Jean Ashworth, who works as a healthcare assistant "
says
"The picture is highly offensive and everyone is up in arms about it"

There's no hope is there, if even the healthcare people find it offensive.

CherryChoc · 21/05/2009 12:39

I'd better not tell them when I was 5 and my sister was 2 I used to "breastfeed" her when we played mums & babies then

...Or that we thought bellybuttons were a spare nipple in case the other two ran out of milk!!

How OBSCENE!

Upwind · 21/05/2009 12:40

Why does this get such attention - is it because of an extremely prudish councillor?

If I objected to a picture of a toddler bottle feeding, I would be laughed at and it would not make the national papers

LovelyRitaMeterMaid · 21/05/2009 12:43

Is there a better copy of the picture somewhere? I can't see anything at all offensive with that picture (not that I would see anything offensive with anything to do with any children breastfeeding their toys).

pooter · 21/05/2009 12:44

this is so disheartening.

juuule · 21/05/2009 12:46

And the prudish councillor is also a healthcare assistant who surely should be promoting breastfeeding as part of health care. Perhaps she's in the wrong job.

Maybe it's the outraged gran who said
"The picture is shocking and it isn't normal. Children copy their parents but I don't think any little girls should be breastfeeding their dolls."
Shocking - isn't normal - girls shouldn't breastfeed their dolls?

Bucharest · 21/05/2009 12:48

Perhaps Councillor Ashworth reads the Sun and thinks her tits are only for the lads.
I shall go and start a rumour to that effect.

AnarchyAunt · 21/05/2009 12:49

Oh dear.

I was so so proud when 2 yo DD pretended to BF her dollies. Isn't there research to show that gils have decided how they will feed their future DC by the age of 9 or something?

mawbroon · 21/05/2009 12:49

Well, all the people on the busy bus this morning would have had to have averted their eyes as my 3.6yo ds fed his teddy on the way to school.

I think it was an act of defiance because we don't do milk on the bus, purely because of the coats/bags/backcarrier issues.

The fact this has made the papers is pretty depressing

FioFio · 21/05/2009 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

scottishmummy · 21/05/2009 12:50

harmless.dont see what the indignation is

mollyroger · 21/05/2009 12:51

I find her attitudes as a healthcare assistant innappropriate, offensive and distasteful, actually.

Anyone who thinks that photo is abnormal is fucked up has some worrying isshoos IMO.

tiktok · 21/05/2009 12:55

I wonder if this is a disciplinary matter - she identifies herself as a 'healthcare assistant' and is clearly speaking with that hat on. She is speaking against an initiative run by her employer and against the aims of a health programme run by her employer.

She is entitled to hold whatever views she likes as a councillor or as a private citizen but as soon as she starts talking as a healthcare assistant, to the press, in such markedly intemperate terms ('everybody is up in arms about it'.....really??) then she needs to be spoken to by her manager.

I am at a loss to know what anyone could see that was offensive in the picture. It makes the sensible point that normalising breastfeeding is good for the next generation,as they do indeed copy what they see their parents do.

I don't see how it makes women who don't breastfeed feel upset, either...only in the sense that seeing any breastfeeding might upset them, and it's a bit unreasonable to think any imagery of bf should be hidden away for that reason.