Comments on: It’s a baby! In a bar!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:44:47 +0000

When I’m out in a bar or I accept an invitation to a cocktail party I’m usually feeling like I want to get away from it all. I go to a bar to chill because I want to be around adults . A bar or cocktail party is where you can always go and expect to not find children. I don’t understand why social rules should be expected to change to accomodate a few. Or, why some parent’s refuse to respect the fact that some people simply don’t want to be around kid’s during their down time. Besides, how responsile is it to subject a baby to an environment of partying adults? Duh. There is no sexism or anti-breastfeeding involed in the equation-just protecting my well-deserved right to good, clean adult time – minus children.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:06:21 +0000

I was really surprised by how many people said things like “Babies just don’t belong at X.” It seems so arbitrary — like one person said babies at the open-invite parties was fine but babies didn’t belong at a private party. Huh? It reminds me of people who say that babies should not be breastfeeding at some arbitrary point: “When they can ask for it” “When they can walk” “When they can unhook your bra themselves.” Who sets these benchmarks?
I would chalk it up to people not understanding the difference between a nurseling and a toddler, but then I hear the same things from other moms and I realize that I will just have to disagree with a lot of folks out there. My nursing infant belongs wherever I am, and to say that nursing mothers are not welcome in certain places is, frankly, sexist and anti-breastfeeding.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:32:11 +0000

Hey, we miss seeing (and hearing from) Jon, since he ended his blog.
Maybe he could do a guest post when you’re super busy?

By: Dou-la-la

Dou-la-la — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:03:11 +0000

You and Megan Francis both hit the nail on the head. Though I wasn’t at BlogHer this time, I was at the Boston one last year, with a 6 month old. Now I honestly wish I’d brought her to MORE of the events, rather than mostly leaving her in the hotel room with my mom and racing back frantically to offer the breast at every break. (Now that she’s a rambunctious toddler, events are going to be more complicated for a while.)

Rights AND responsibilities, it’s a balance. Babies and children should exist in the world, AND parents should be conscientious about making sure their behavior isn’t becoming intrusive.

By: Erika

Erika — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:47:38 +0000

when mathias was a “freshey” my BF at the time, took him to the local pub for lunch, we had been there many, many, times before.
anyway, we put him still in his car seat on top of the bar…ate lunch, i even drank (GASP! CALL CPS) a beer….
and watched curling the greatest sport eveha!

anyway…no one cared.

By: Debra

Debra — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:10:03 +0000

I believe children should be welcomed in adults-only venues, but I don’t think they (especially infants) should be present at very loud events like Sundown in the City.

By: Laura Creekmore

Laura Creekmore — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:34:20 +0000

I just got back from my 20th high school reunion, where my nursing 3mo was with me at both adults-only evening events. They were long enough that had I left her with a sitter, I’d have had to bring my breast pump with me. Which seemed awfully stupid.

I did promise my classmates I won’t have a newborn at the 30 year reunion, like I did at this one AND at our 10th.

I do agree about children needed to behave in public. There’s a vast difference between well behaved and poorly behaved children in an otherwise adults-only venue.

By: kagranju

kagranju — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:38:04 +0000

@Miriam – Oh my gosh! That’s pretty repulsive