Everybody wants to dabble in child-rearing these days, and I blame Hillary Clinton. Earlier this week when Lindsay walked down to KC’s City Market with Aidan (a few blocks from our apartment), an old-man fruit seller looked at her dubiously. “You brought him out here without any kind of hat?!”
The sky had looked vaguely overcast when Lindsay and Aidan began their journey, and now it was about to start raining—but mothers are supposed to use their innate weather-forecasting abilities to protect their children from dampness of any sort.
Yesterday Lindsay was taking Aidan for a stroll around the block when a middle-aged black man suggested, “Isn’t it kind of hot for her to be outside?” “Actually, I think he will be fine,” Lindsay replied. Not bad. If I’d been there, I would have said, “Does this look to you like a freakin’ village?”
It’s just as well these people don’t about Aidan’s home life, how he drinks about three cappuccinos a day and spends two hours each afternoon honing his jump shot. No doubt we should take a firmer line.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Bringing Up Aidan Without a Village
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5 comments:
These well-meaning folks sound like Germans. I swear, the official children cannot go outside unless they are dressed for the arctic, and it's all the EMBLOS' fault.
Lighten up, I say.
Cheers.
Ugh! I can't stand busybodies.
I've experiences that in my life, and I realize that in some way...it's kinda sweet that these people offer their advice. Agree- that it's not usually right for me, but nevertheless it's nice to know that they care instead of being on auto-pilot all day. :-)
That is one cute kid... and he's really into his dad's books :) I agree with the above, it's nice to have a sense of community, no?
Oh man...I guess I've given away my hard-nosed approach to new people - Get out of my way or I'll walk over you, and don't stare at our baby!
No, not really. I'm all in favor of community. It just rubs me the wrong way when community = random criticism. No doubt there will be more welcome manifestations of "community" in the days ahead...
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