Whoa people! This is literally the first post I read upon my return to the vegweb forums...

She's baaaaaaaack.   :)>>>

Once again, this is all your fault!  :P

Whoa people! This is literally the first post I read upon my return to the vegweb forums...

She's baaaaaaaack.   :)>>>

Once again, this is all your fault!  :P

Once again, I'm ok with that.
Blame KMK, she got me hooked, which in turn, got you hooked.

Who says I'm hooked?
Besides, I hear you have to bring manners to these forums now... and I only have so many manners to go around. ;)

It becomes sexual at age 8 because you figure an eight-year-old has some sense of sex/sexuality, whereas the 2-year-old doesn't.  Not justifying it, just explaining where the perception might come from.  

Do they? Freud's Psychosexual development stages don't really show that. A 2 year old interprets sexuality differently than an 8 year old, but not exponentially. In fact, an 8 year old is in the latent stage! I think the "age thing" only becomes a factor at puberty. Because at puberty we can be sure that sexual reasoning comes into play.

I think it's OK to question the mother's motives (the possibility IS there), but I don't necessarily think she has ill-intentions.  We can't really know.  We're not her.

Shall we question all mother's intentions then?
I'd like to question those who choose to formula feed when it's been proven that formula increases the risk of many many things including childhood diabetes.

True Meggs. I think my point is that we shouldn't point fingers at the few families who do these things because it makes breastfeeding look bad in the grand scheme of things. And the shock factor of these 8 year old girls story only serves to help those who are trying to place limits on BFing on general. These extended extenders are STILL far far better off than those who don't BF! We need to help society see that artifical feeding is the most odd thing of all.

True Meggs. I think my point is that we shouldn't point fingers at the few families who do these things because it makes breastfeeding look bad in the grand scheme of things. And the shock factor of these 8 year old girls story only serves to help those who are trying to place limits on BFing on general. These extended extenders are STILL far far better off than those who don't BF! We need to help society see that artifical feeding is the most odd thing of all.

I agree that BFing has way more benefits and this is one of those stories that gives it a "bad rap" so to speak. This reminds me of that story last year of the vegan family that was starving their kids (?) and therefore, all veganism was bad for children *eye roll*

However, this story is still highly disturbing to me.

Do they? Freud's Psychosexual development stages don't really show that. A 2 year old interprets sexuality differently than an 8 year old, but not exponentially. In fact, an 8 year old is in the latent stage! I think the "age thing" only becomes a factor at puberty. Because at puberty we can be sure that sexual reasoning comes into play.

I meant in terms of cognitive development.  I thought Freud's stages were about how sexual energy is channeled and sexual desires are fulfilled, which is different.  I just mean an 8-year-old (in my experience) has a sense that men and women engage in sexual acts, whereas a two year old doesn't.  I also don't give much credence to Freud's stages of development, but that's neither here nor there with regards to the original topic. 

I'd like to question those who choose to formula feed when it's been proven that formula increases the risk of many many things including childhood diabetes.

Yup, so would I!

My big peeve about the whole situation is that I think it extends beyond providing security and becomes enablement.  For example, I am a proponent of co-sleeping.  But if your 8-year-old still wants to sleep in your bed, it's time to steer the kid in the direction of being able to sleep on her own.  I would not wait for the child to decide for herself when she thinks it's OK to leave.  And if an 8-year-old still wants to breastfeed, I think it's time to push her in the direction of being able to cope and feel secure in other ways than turning to her mom's breasts.  Letting a child decide for herself when she wants to wean is not a decision I would make for my child.  Like I said, if your kid wanted to wear diapers til age 5, you COULD let her.  But you wouldn't.  I'm not really concerned about whether it's physically healthy (of course it is) or perverse (doubt it), but on the other hand I do not find it "natural" that, at the stage in human development where the girl has been able to feed herself for years, she is still allowed to breastfeed.  Or like, if your kid could tie his shoes, but he still kept asking you to do it, you wouldn't say, "OK honey, let me do it for you!"  It's the independence bit.  We KNOW that any kid breastfed for that length has a secure attachment to the mother.  Let's move on and allow the kid to understand that she can regulate her own emotions and cope in other ways.  I think the part where she says the girls get upset if she puts her breasts away speaks to what I'm concerned about.

I think the concern about giving breastfeeding a bad rap is totally valid.  I was just about to cite the story about veganism that Meggs just mentioned.

i agree that it's totally about the mom being selfish and wanting to feel needed by her 'babies' when in reality they do need her but just in other ways, not through breastfeeding.  at some point parents need to step up and be parents and guide their children as opposed to let their kids do whatever they feel like until they decide to do otherwise.  if your kid decided it was right for them to only eat chocolate all day odds are you wouldnt be supplying them with it, you would say "no, even though it would be easier for me to let you have what you want & you would like me for doing it, it isnt the healthiest thing for you and you need to eat some vegetables, fruits, grains, etc".  she doesnt want to say no because likes to feel needed and since she's the only one in the house that can fulfill that need she must feel pretty popular.

aw, shucks kmk....    :)>>>

I would just like to put it out there that some mom's have to use formula for whatever reason, and already feel bad about it, so we shouldn't make them feel worse. Just like we shouldn't make anyone feel weird for breastfeeding. (Don't hit me!)