Moms and Dads, May I Have Your Attention Please...

If you're here looking for an update about Dominic, I am sorry to disappoint. It's coming! But I have a lot of thought to put into it and it is more important to me that posts about him are near perfect, whereas posts like this one I can pop out in 20 minutes...

For this post I am requesting input and discussion. The following article really hit me in the feels and it's one that I want to talk and hear people's thoughts about, this is the ENTIRE reason I am posting it. I want to hear what you think!

Please go to this LINK, and watch the video if you haven't seen it already and then read the article/commentary/blog post. All is important to what I say from here on out...

OK, did you watch and read it? I trust you all did.

First of all, I want to say that I liked the ad, which is contradictory to the author of this post.

I agree and disagree with so many things about this post and wonder if others feel the same as I do, the same as Tracey (the author) does, a mixture of both, or an entirely different opinion.

One of the issues that Tracey has with this ad is that Similac is first and foremost trying to sell formula. And although she seems offended by it, I am not at all. It is an Advertisement after all. What would you expect? I think what Similac was trying to send a positive message about building each other up as parents rather than tearing one another down. Granted, this also may help people that have the privilege of breastfeeding their babies to not tear down those who have no other option, and thus may help support the formula industry. I also think it will help the formula feeding moms not to stress out about their choice or necessity of formula quite so much. I am one mom who would prefer to breastfeed but is heavily reliant on formula. Do I feel guilt about it every day? Yes. I wish I could have kept my milk supply up where it was when Dominic was born, but it was not in the cards. At least at this point, with Dominic's cleft lip, I feel that I am not judged when I am out in public and bottle feeding. People see him and they understand. However when he has his cleft lip surgery and externally looks fine, I feel people may begin to judge me. The judgement and prejudice that people feel because they are formula feeders I can imagine can cause huge levels of stress. Hopefully, those who see this ad will lighten up on them a bit and just let them be.

Although I never would have been as outspoken as any of the [fictional] moms in this ad, I do have a preference for breastfeeding because "breast is best", but I do want to hear the story if someone is feeding formula to their child. Not to judge, but more because generally there is a reason behind it. I have had two really close people to me in my life that have chosen to formula feed after attempting to breastfeed and having complications of one kind or another. I have no judgement towards them for switching! It needed to happen and for good reason. However I still do judge the moms that find excuses and have never tried. I feel you are shortchanging your kids, but it's not like they are trying to feed their children poison. It is a stable diet, just not the best one. It's like watching a parent go to McDonalds every day with their kids just because they like it better than veggies and fruit and ya know, GOOD food for you... I would judge those parents too.

Tracey also had issue with the stereotypes in this commercial and I felt I had to disagree with her on this point too. She did make a good point about how unfair the ad is to the fathers, but at the same time at least they were included, Dads are important too and this ad did not forget that. But I think in the limited amount of time the ad had to get their point across, they used the "worst of the worst" to make them memorable and identifiable. In all of their extreme differences, they are all still parents. Even the most extreme parent at one end of the spectrum cares about the kids of the parent on the other end of the spectrum. They are all kids and we all need to take care of them. Formula feeding, breastfeeding or whatever other differences we have. They used stereotypes to get a point across in a short amount of time, and I don't think they did it in an offensive way. Not all working mom's wear business attire, but in this case it makes them easily identifiable from the other moms. To get your point across in two minutes, ya might need to get a bit stereotype-y.

This was just an interesting post that got me thinking, and I wonder what other people think about it too! :)