Have y’all seen this issue of Time Magazine? Lawd have mercy.

This fascinating article takes a look at the topic of attachment parenting, which says that the more time babies spend in their mother’s arms, the more well-adjusted they’ll be. Common practice, right? The three basic tenets of attachment parenting are breast-feeding, co-sleeping and baby-wearing (as in slings or Bjorns.) I am a supporter of all of these things, but the article of course is talking about extremes, with The Baby Book by Sears at the center. The child on the cover is 3 years old, clearly not a baby.

I was in a park with Bryce when she was about 3 and she had met a little boy of the same age with whom she was running and playing with. I was talking to the boy’s mother for a time and about 20 minutes into our visit he ran over and told her he was hungry. I thought she was going to reach for her bag and grab some granola, but instead she lifted her shirt, whipped out her vessel and fed him while he stood there, drinking beneath her. ALL without missing a beat in the conversation!

While I do consider myself open and sometimes progressive I have to admit I was shocked. A loud voice inside my head was yelling, “DON’T LOSE EYE CONTACT! DON’T REACT!! KEEP TALKING!” It was a first for me to witness a walking, talking, dentally-developed-with-molars aged child have a breast feed. In the moment was confusion as well as respect for what I also perceived as impressive commitment on the part of that mom, regardless of whether or not I could relate. It’s all fascinating to me.

I’m not trying to evoke any controversy here people. I was just stopped in my tracks by this cover imagery. I find western practices incredibly fascinating as related to other parenting practices around the world. Think about it. Think about the women in Ethiopia who basically live in the outdoor elements. Think about what they and their babies are exposed to on a daily basis and yet they survive and generations carry on. Here we’re conditioned to be afraid of so much. Perhaps out of necessity, perhaps not.

On a lighter note, we’re having crepes for breakfast (yea, that is an odd transition isn’t it.)
Sounds fancy but is actually much faster than making pancakes, because it’s all done in the blender and uses fewer ingredients. Here we go.

Blueberry Crepe Roll Ups

1 c flour (white or whole wheat)
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c milk

Put all ingredients in a blender and whirl for about 5 seconds. Heat a non-stick pan and coat with a little bit of butter. Add about ¼ c of crepe mixture to the pan and turn it slowly so that it coats the entire bottom. The crepe will start to bubble, at which point you’ll want to peek at the bottom to see if it’s browning and then flip. This happens really fast (as in 1-2 minutes so don’t go far from the stove.)

Option to butter the crepes and roll with berries. Eat as is or drizzle with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Have a fantastic day!