After being a parent for several years, I can only conclude that our culture hates children.
Some adults ignore my son when he tries to talk to them. He looks at me, bewildered and says, "They're not answering, mommy." I shoot them a glare and say pointedly, "Yes honey- some people are just rude."
Some adults roll their eyes if Rowan's emotions run away with him and he is loud about it (He is learning how to be in control of himself- but it is a process that requires practice. No one is born with it). These adults are the same adults who do not want to be in close quarters (airplanes, elevators, restaurants) with him and freak not-so-subtly when he arrives.
The world includes humans of all ages, and I call bullshit on this artificial construct of being in "adult only" space we have created.
Below are four links that speak to this topic.
What is "adult privilege"?
How other cultures raise infants and children and why ours is so problematic.
Adult privilege run amok makes family travel a nightmare.
Expectations of public behavior are often stacked against children and those that are different than the political norm.
Thank you SO MUCH for this! I often feel so much the same, though I thought it must just be first time mommy instinct...but you pose a very validated and inspiring point. ..and the links are GREAT!
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If only more parents were like you. I'm always wary about talking to other people's children because I've had parents get weird on me or snatch their children away when I talk to them. But then I also have a friend that uses it to his advantage. If he sees a stray child running the mall around without a parent he will go talk to the kid and give them a hug because nothing brings a parent running like a strange man hugging their child.
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