Pac-man cucumbers

This is an example of packed lunch. But not only that, its a great example of mother’s love really. There is no other reason that I would stand in the middle of the night cutting out shapes and arranging lunch that will most likely be messed up before its even opened.

I am sure we all want to be good moms. Even though I may not agree we are all doing a great job of it, I do think the vast majority of women with kids want to be good at it. Its only natural, we love the little creatures more than anyone we will..ever. I was thinking the other day after ordering some anthropology books from the State Library, what in the world am I doing. Why am I even doing this. I kept  on searching for something lately, reading online (as part of my addiction, you see) various book excerpts. And I think I may have figured it out. I am not as concerned about being a great mom, but with what this actually entails. And to me, in short, that is – happy children that grow to be happy content adults. And I think the fact that those are in such a short supply and there are so many, way too many, screwed up people, running around in circles, doing all sorts of self-destructive things, makes me think that what our society considers good parenting is just not so, according to my judgment of it at least . There must be something else. And since for everything else I turn back the clock and try to think as a cave person, because even though to us that is waaaay back, genetically its just the other day and whenever you try to outrun nature, not much good happens.  So, I have been wondering how do more primitive cultures raise children.

And that is what I am reading about now. I am almost done with “Children of Different Cultures” . A fascinating view of selection of small towns across the world and their way of socializing children, making them part of the community. Next, I have “A World of Babies” – “The truly extraordinary chapters of this book, so imaginatively written as “Manuals of Child Rearing” for seven different cultures literally all over the world, are testaments not only to the astonishing variety of ways in which those challenges are met, but, as well, to the sheer ingenuity of our species in coping with the task of replacing itself”.  Which will be followed by  “Our Babies, ourselves – how biology and culture shape the way we parent” – “the first book to explore to what extent the way we parent our infants is based on our biological needs and to what extent it is based on culture – and the startling consequences ignoring nature’s imperatives can have on the well-being of our children”.

Some may think I have gone bonkers or that I am over thinking this too much. I will disrespectfully disagree. Well, maybe respectfully, the other one is not nice. The way I see it, Mr.Blab and I have only been exposed to the westernized idea of what a parent is and what a parent is supposed to do…and how…and when. But, as with many other things, that is not the only way to approach the subject. Far from it. By reading about other ways, I am actually able to consider the alternatives.  I am actually able to make a choice of how to best raise my children, not just following the status quo that is inevitably ingrained in me. Essentially, lift the blinders off and see the whole array of possibilities and THEN make a selection.

I want to know why I am doing something. “Thats the way its done” doesnt quite cut it.

Cutting out cucumber pac-man and carrot stars  at 1a.m. in the morning is love. The fact that they made pasta at kindy that day and she didnt get to eat her lunch is – life.  I would still do it.

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