Comments on: Posterboy No More | Mother To Be http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo Daily affirmations of a word mercenary Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:31:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: yara http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo#comment-2651 yara Tue, 16 Sep 2003 07:38:12 +0000 #comment-2651 the response was too long for such an itty-bitty box, so it's <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/olesia/107938.html?mode=reply">here</a>. the response was too long for such an itty-bitty box, so it’s here.

]]> By: amanda http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo#comment-2650 amanda Sat, 13 Sep 2003 18:56:26 +0000 #comment-2650 I agree with suz. Having a child is a blessing and raising them to be radical gives great satisfaction to the parents. A lot of people can't see themselves as parents, i didn't either, but once you have one you can't see yourself without them. However, it is important to keep your personality and have fun with them, not be burdened. And I think adoption is a great option, although I would worry about not being able to bond with the child. But I do not know anyone personally who has adopted, I wonder how challenging it is. I agree with suz. Having a child is a blessing and raising them to be radical gives great satisfaction to the parents. A lot of people can’t see themselves as parents, i didn’t either, but once you have one you can’t see yourself without them. However, it is important to keep your personality and have fun with them, not be burdened. And I think adoption is a great option, although I would worry about not being able to bond with the child. But I do not know anyone personally who has adopted, I wonder how challenging it is.

]]> By: suz http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo#comment-2649 suz Sat, 13 Sep 2003 13:47:51 +0000 #comment-2649 Just remember: One of the easier ways to bring radical people into this world is to raise one. Look at Ariel's parents! Just remember: One of the easier ways to bring radical people into this world is to raise one. Look at Ariel’s parents!

]]> By: paisley http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo#comment-2648 paisley Sat, 13 Sep 2003 08:06:17 +0000 #comment-2648 i really don't know that matt and i will ever choose to have kids. we love kids but we rather like our time together. we are 6 years into our marriage and the only babies we have are our animals :) i am also an only child and i think it does something to your whole mind set on a load of issues. but as i am a big fan of birth/doula/raising younins there is a part of me that can't see not being a mama.. time will tell :) adoption has been talked about around here.. i really don’t know that matt and i will ever choose to have kids. we love kids but we rather like our time together. we are 6 years into our marriage and the only babies we have are our animals :)

i am also an only child and i think it does something to your whole mind set on a load of issues.
but as i am a big fan of birth/doula/raising younins
there is a part of me that can’t see not being a mama..
time will tell :)
adoption has been talked about around here..

]]> By: Ariel http://electrolicious.com/2003/09/posterboy_no_mo#comment-2647 Ariel Sat, 13 Sep 2003 07:23:00 +0000 #comment-2647 Very interesting, Yara. I'm totally glad you brought this up, because it's something I've been thinking about. First, you should know something: Electrolicious very well could (and if it sticks around long enough most undoubtedly will) become SPAWNolicious. That's where I fall on the spectrum, and I should give you ample warning now. I respect all the choices that I'm seeing be made. I respect Heather for starting a family with her partner. I respect Mimi's choice not to breed, but to start a family with her partner. I also have a lot of respect for people who chose not to have children at all. In each of these three cases, I assume that the adults involved have the information they need to know themselves and make the decision. I think all three decisions offer challenges and opportunity. I also respect friends of mine like Ben & Kara, who had a baby three years ago. Although having a baby may have been the path followed by the vast majority of their fellow mammals, my friends have chosen to maintain their ideals, quirks, and radical activism in parenthood. Kara runs a website for hipmama.com, and cranks out zines about vegan parenting and other kick ass shit. Ben is a teacher who subverts the dominant paradigm with kids every day. These parents are young, passionate, idealistic, and there are no "paul frank diaper bags" in site. Kara's stories about the "magic" of parenthood involve venting about picking chunks of feces out of her son's hair. They love their son, but they didn't trade in their brains or personalities for a Costco membership and a picket fence when he was born. Are they perfect? No. Are any parents? Nope. I'd be curious to hear more about your philosophy that went into choosing to remain childless. I'm posting these comments publicly, but if you want to continue the conversation via email, that's cool with me. It's certainly an issue people will undoubtedly have strong reactions to, and I hope that the conversation can remain respectful on all accounts. I will say this: if your reasons for childlessness are related to population and environmental concerns, I'm all with you there. As an avowed only child, I plan to cut myself in half, evolutionarily. But I do plan to spawn. So, for better or for worse, Electrolicious may someday mutate into something very different from what it is today. Won't we all? Very interesting, Yara. I’m totally glad you brought this up, because it’s something I’ve been thinking about.

First, you should know something: Electrolicious very well could (and if it sticks around long enough most undoubtedly will) become SPAWNolicious. That’s where I fall on the spectrum, and I should give you ample warning now.

I respect all the choices that I’m seeing be made. I respect Heather for starting a family with her partner. I respect Mimi’s choice not to breed, but to start a family with her partner. I also have a lot of respect for people who chose not to have children at all. In each of these three cases, I assume that the adults involved have the information they need to know themselves and make the decision. I think all three decisions offer challenges and opportunity.

I also respect friends of mine like Ben & Kara, who had a baby three years ago. Although having a baby may have been the path followed by the vast majority of their fellow mammals, my friends have chosen to maintain their ideals, quirks, and radical activism in parenthood. Kara runs a website for hipmama.com, and cranks out zines about vegan parenting and other kick ass shit. Ben is a teacher who subverts the dominant paradigm with kids every day. These parents are young, passionate, idealistic, and there are no “paul frank diaper bags” in site. Kara’s stories about the “magic” of parenthood involve venting about picking chunks of feces out of her son’s hair. They love their son, but they didn’t trade in their brains or personalities for a Costco membership and a picket fence when he was born. Are they perfect? No. Are any parents? Nope.

I’d be curious to hear more about your philosophy that went into choosing to remain childless. I’m posting these comments publicly, but if you want to continue the conversation via email, that’s cool with me. It’s certainly an issue people will undoubtedly have strong reactions to, and I hope that the conversation can remain respectful on all accounts.

I will say this: if your reasons for childlessness are related to population and environmental concerns, I’m all with you there. As an avowed only child, I plan to cut myself in half, evolutionarily. But I do plan to spawn. So, for better or for worse, Electrolicious may someday mutate into something very different from what it is today. Won’t we all?

]]>