What do you think of the cover of next issue of Time? **Image may offend**

[laundry_queen]

97. Of course you said nothing about that.

But it is an apt analogy.
Here's my beef:

I agree with you that a mother using her child as an appendage is wrong. For instance, a mother who takes her child to the tanning booth because she likes how SHE looks tanned, so she projects that same image onto her child as if her child was an appendage (which, BTW, is classic narcissistic mother)

What I'm saying is, say, a gay couple who is attending rallies and giving interviews on gay rights brings along their child for photos to say, "Look at US. We are a loving, normal family just like your family. We deserve the same rights. Our child deserves to have married parents just like your child." What if they live in a really backwards community who sees those articles and the child gets bullied at school because of it? Does that mean the parents should never have posed for pictures with their child? Is that 'using' the child as an appendage? I absolutely don't think so.

What I see this woman saying is, "See, look at us. We are normal. We are not sick, or disgusting. This is how much of the world feeds their toddlers. We are normal and we deserve to be treated with respect." Is she using her child to prove a point? Maybe. I don't know. Is that child going to be ridiculed? Well, seeing as children in diaper commercials are usually toddler age (and there is social stigma if you are a teenager with your bare bum on display - how many teens enjoy their parents showing their dates bare bum baby pics?) and you think no one will recognize them, what makes you think in 10 years this child will be recognized?

Part of being a parent is discernment. Part of being a parent is also fighting for what you believe to be in the best interests of your child. There are lots of 'parts' to being a parent.