Yesterday I read this blog post. And today I opened up the Sunday Telegraph. And I must say I got myself a bit worked up, a bit riled if you will.
New Mum and radio star Jackie O is under fire for feeding her baby Kitty while crossing a street. And this is enough to trigger a smackdown of sorts in the media. And for good measure, she is now also being vilified for returning to work "too early" for some peoples liking. I do not listen to Jackie O and the only things I know about her is what I read in the gossip pages, but she seems like a normal mum getting through her day and doing what you need to do to.
I have breastfed one of my babies while standing in line at Coles before. Why? Because he was screaming his head off hungry and I had just spent an hour doing the grocery shop and I needed food in the house. I wonder what Prue Goward (who is dangerously close to going on my shit list) would have to say about that!
Annette Sharp, I would not laugh. You are already on it.
And once when I had a newborn baby who would NOT STOP CRYING I went and sat at the back of the garden with a glass of wine at midday. babies went to daycare for one day a week when they were 6 months old so I could have a break. I know. How selfish am I! I went back to work 3 days a week when Harry turned 8 months - come and get me Prue Goward. And one time, at band camp, I also bought flowers while holding my baby.
In a clear case of bullying, I am delighted that women such as Lisa Wilkinson, Libbi Gorr, Georgie Gardener. Kerryn Phelps, Kylie Gillies and MP Kate Ellis have rushed to Jackie O's defense. But it bothers me that we need to defend a new mum from bullying. I wonder if it had been Jackie's husband feeding Kitty while crossing a road, whether we would be reading about this at all?
Jackie O, you are doing a great job. Mothering is a tough gig and doing it in the spotlight must suck. Keep on keeping on and try to ignore the haters. If you can. But know that you have support out there.
There is no perfect world, only the world in which you exist and survive as best you can. And if there was a perfect world, this article would not have warranted a full page on Page 3 of the paper. And in a perfect world, I would not have this massive zit on my chin, the kids would not have woken me up at fricking 6am, I would be at yoga right now and my farts would smell like Chanel No 5.
