Comments on: Britney carries her children and lets them have dummies – A tale of why I should step away from the Daily Mail.

By: 'Cross the Pond

'Cross the Pond — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:36:37 +0000

I don't leave the house without a dummy (we call them binkys) for my 2 1/2 year old. I'm not even going to try to take it away from her as we're about to have another baby (in 34 days!) and then we're moving to London in January. She'll need all the comfort she can get – but I'll be watching to see how you resolve this. Can't wait to read The Mail!

By: siobhan

siobhan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:16:51 +0000

Just another example of the pressure mothers are under to be perfect. 'You have to breastfeed', 'what you're still breastfeeding?', sleep with your child, put them in a cot and let them cry, feed them this, feed them that. It just goes on. I felt a lot of pressure with my first child to 'do thing right'. Once you have a second, it's just whatever you can to get by, be it dummies, carrying etc.

By: Selina Kingston

Selina Kingston — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:57:15 +0000

The Daily Mail is a pernicious little rag!
My colleagues all think the same. Which is why I don't understand why it is always the first to be picked up each morning in our office when we do our daily trawl of the papers….sometimes, by me !

By: Expat mum

Expat mum — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:42:57 +0000

I confess to reading the Mail online just to see how ridiculous their stories are. I even commented on the Britney story that I would probably carry my kids if there were papparazzi everywhere. Can you imagine being three feet tall and having pushy fat guys chasing you everywhere?

By: Brit in Bosnia / Fraught Mummy

Brit in Bosnia / Fraught Mummy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:56:24 +0000

The Mail makes me blow a gasket every time I get close to it. My family occasionally get it and then stand by to watch me go bright red and have steam come out of my ears. It is exactly because of articles like that that I can't read it.

If my children are tired, I carry them. So what? They are about the same age as Britney's kids.

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:43:12 +0000

I loathe that right wing rag and always feel horrible after reading it online but I do sometimes get drawn into reading the comments section when they write stories about celebrity children. Whenever they write about Suri Cruise or the Jolie Pitt children the message boards go mad…why are they being carried, why aren't they wearing dresses, why have they still got bottles, where's Kate Moss's daughter? Why are people so judgmental? Why is it anyone's business?

I know I shouldn't read them because it makes my blood boil and serves no purpose. Only sadness and curiosity as to why the Mail is so vicious and why people are so quick to condemn them.

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:34:30 +0000

I loathe that right wing rag but I do often find myself online clicking onto their stories about celebrity children and reading the legions of comments (which probably makes me as bad as the people who comment in some respects). I agree that the mums are always getting a bashing - why is Suri Cruise always being carried (because of the paparazzi crowding round perhaps?) why isn't she wearing warmer clothes, why does she still have a bottle, why are Angelina and Brad Pitt's girls not wearing pretty dresses, why is Kate Moss never seen with her child?

I can't understand the mentality of being so judgmental on other people's children and parenting skills. Why is it anyone's business?

I'm going to try and refrain from reading any more of the Mail because I always feel horrible afterwards but it certainly does epitomise the way motherhood is often viewed in this country.

By: whistlejacket

whistlejacket — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:42:56 +0000

I can't stand The Mail and have always stayed away from it. Like you, it makes me angry that they draw readers in with such a crass headline. And don't you think it's always the mum that gets the hard time? I can't ever imagine a celebrity dad being criticised for his parenting skills.

By: Kelloggsville

Kelloggsville — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:15:25 +0000

my 11 year old has a security blan…nope..RAG and has carried it around held against her nose up until the age of about 6, it then became a bed time thing only but under times of stress she says "my nose needs snuggly". Don't forget all those reporters berating dummies are sucking on cigarettes and chewing pens – they are both just dummy replacements – I hate most of the british press – I have found myself reading the Times recently – it seems to have some news in it!

By: april

april — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:59:12 +0000

Is the daily mail at all like the guardian? (all I know of english newspapaerage i have learned from Tim Minchin songs) But yes, child with dummy (good grief – shock – some six year olds still have them at bed time) and yes, if i was being chased or even if i wanted to move at somewhere faster than the speed of an arthritic snail it became necessary to carry children up to age 5…sigh…newspapers..

By: clareybabble

clareybabble — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:44:47 +0000

Mine have both had dummies and I quite often carry Little S around at 4, especially when he is tired or needs comfort. Who are the Daily Fail to tell anyone that's the wrong thing to do?! They obviously can't get hold of real stories so are content with attacking parenting skills. Shame on them.

By: Very Bored Housewife

Very Bored Housewife — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:32:22 +0000

Joseph still has a dummy at 3 years and 2 1/2 months, somebody put me against a wall and shoot me!

By: Fiona

Fiona — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:15:07 +0000

Here here! I grew up as a snob cos my parents read the mail and I believed everything I read, now I read it and just laugh and take it all as a load of upper middle class crap!
I must admit I love Britney! I have two children with a similar age gap to Brintney and am the same age as her and my weight yo yos like hers to I feel quite an identity with her (excpet for the money and fame lol).
Anyway with young kids I have learnt its anything for an easy life if that means, dummies, bottles, carrying, letting them run wild in cafes then so be it!!!