Skip to content
Infano-logo
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close
Infano-logo
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close
  • Health & Fitness
  • Sexual Health
  • Mental Health
  • Periods
  • Pregnancy
  • Parenting
  • PCOS
  • HerStory
  • Campaign
  • Download App
  • pink-search-icon
    • Close

Growing As A Parent

Written By: Infano
June 16, 2020
  • Full Read
Spread the love

Parenting has never been limited to just the biological parents but has spread from the father or mother to elderly siblings, step-parents, grandparents, legal guardians, aunts, uncles or further family members, or pals. Governments and society also play a major role in bringing up a child. Whether the child is growing in a nuclear family, joint family or in foster care every child deserves love and care.

Why Parenting Is Important

When James Baldwin said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” He might have struck a chord among many of us. 

It’s not just in words but if you take a closer look at your children you will often catch them acting or handling the situation just like you. They often imitate you in a particular way that will have you thinking, “Is she becoming like me?”

Parents are a major part of children’s life. Whether it’s teaching them how to walk or tying the knot, parents should be there to witness and guide them to the right path. A child’s mind is an empty vase in the initial year and as parents, it’s your duty to fill it with a sound education, morals and knowledge of right and wrong.

When Should Parents Stop

But as Khaled Hosseini has said, “Children aren’t colouring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favourite colours.” One must know that you should teach the children how to think not what to think.

Parents should know when to stop interfering in their children’s life. Children should be left to explore and get their own way through life. 

Children should be self-sufficient, so they can learn from their own mistakes. Its children’s life, so they should be left to lead it the way they want, should be left to make choices and stand for things they believe in. 

As a parent, you should educate your children and assist them in their choices by supporting them in their victories and failures. A chick only learns to fly when they fall down numerous times. Parents who are often found overprotective of their children, the kids are seen to become pushovers and are incapable of dealing with challenges or difficult tasks that are expected to withstand in the practical world.

What we can adopt in parenting from parents across the world

From West

1. The society of permissive parenthood enables children to develop with the proficiency to understand creatively and be inventive. The entrepreneurial belief is found in western nations more often than the eastern nations.

2. Western parenting pertains to hearing their children and building their capability without urging them to follow authority. Being unrestricted to follow what they like, they are always thinking out of the box.

3. They are given the freedom to believe and function the way they want from a premature age which enables them to comprehend the outcomes of their actions on their own and not limited to the lessons by their parents.

From East

4. Parents from the east countries spend more on the children’s education, extracurricular or in their physical and mental development. 

5. The cultural upbringing in east countries is more emotional which often entitles the children to stay with their family or look after their parents as they grow old. 

6. East countries parents are often seen to accompany their children in their homework which helps them to form a stronger bonding.

Friendly ParentsparenthoodParentingWorld

Infano

Infano is a platform that aims to impact every facet of a woman's life - health, career, motherhood, lifestyle, and much more. We are a team of like-minded individuals who wish to be a support to women from all walks of life and in everything they do. Our aim, through our posts and articles, is to bring to light the issues and problems that women face in their day-to-day life, to try and make their life a little easier and a little better, provide the latest news updates of women around the world, and to highlight their big and small achievements. We celebrate womanhood each and every day.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Infano Care

Breastfeeding: A Site Of Objectification?

Written By: Misha
March 20, 2022 | 12:45 PM |
860

Highlights

  • Are public spaces accessible to breastfeeding mothers?
  • A lactating mother felt ‘uncomfortable’ breastfeeding her child in public.
  • Uncomfortable, embarrassed, vulnerable! But why is it a site of objectification? 
  • It is rare to find nursing rooms in public spaces where a woman can breastfeed.

 

  • Quick Read
  • Full Read

A woman felt uncomfortable about doing nothing more than feeding her baby. Public places are immensely crowded, with people pushing each other, being stared at and harassed. This ordeal doesn’t have much comfort to offer. In addition, it is rare to find nursing rooms in public spaces where a woman can breastfeed her child without the stares of objectification. The scorn of society is not the sole reason for the barrier in breastfeeding in public spaces. Lack of hygiene, no facilities of nursing rooms are among the other reasons which make the environment far from encouraging to protect the right of a child to be breastfed irrespective of where they are. Instead of misogynistic attempts to shame the natural act of feeding babies let’s ensure to normalize the gaze with which the society views the act of breastfeeding and work on providing well maintained accessible for all spaces free from intrusion at workplaces, malls, metro stations, railway stations and other public spaces for women to nurse their child without the fear of objectification or public glare. Let’s ensure no lactating mother gets directed towards the toilets to feed their babies.

Spread the love

“Next station is Rajiv Chowk. Change here for the blue line. Doors will open on the right. Please mind the gap.” 

It was during one of my morning metro rides. As soon as the door of the metro closed, a woman came running from the general coach. She seemed in a hurry. But more than her swing of motion toward the moving train, what caught everyone’s attention was her little baby draped in her dupatta crying his throat out. 

She came to the women’s coach and sat next to me. And started breastfeeding her child instantaneously. The crying voice ceased just seconds after. Well, she answered the unasked questions pointed to her with many women gazing at her. She said, “I felt uncomfortable there” and smiled. 

Breastfeeding In Public Is Uncomfortable

She felt uncomfortable about doing nothing more than feeding her baby. 

Uncomfortable, embarrassed, vulnerable! Breastfeeding in public is a barrier to breastfeeding in general. But why is it a site of objectification? How society perceives the act of breastfeeding is a question of concern.

The Infant and Young Child Feeding Guidelines 2016 (IYCFG, drafted by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (Indian Pediatrics 2016) states:

“Nursing in Public (NIP): Mothers should feel comfortable to nurse in public. All efforts should be taken to remove hurdles impeding breastfeeding in public places. Special areas/rooms shall be identified/ constructed or established in places like bus stands, railway stations, airports, etc.”

Public places are immensely crowded, with people pushing each other, being stared at, and harassed. This ordeal doesn’t have much comfort to offer. In addition, it is rare to find nursing rooms in public spaces where a woman can breastfeed her child without the stares of objectification. 

From a woman being mocked by a fellow employee in Kolkata for breastfeeding her child in the office to a magazine receiving flak for featuring a model posing like she was breastfeeding – it is unfortunate and illogically unsettling how so many people still consider breastfeeding a stigma and view the process as mere sexualization, exclusive for gaze.

There are no laws in India that prohibit breastfeeding in public. However, the environment is not conducive to a breastfeeding mother either in a metro or at the workplace? 

This raises concerns about the social conditioning and unavailability of proper infrastructure in public spaces, including malls, metro stations, railway stations, bus terminals, airports for breastfeeding mothers. 

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. The WHO also states within its guidelines:

Men Stare, So Do Women

The scorn of society is not the sole reason for the barrier in breastfeeding in public spaces. Lack of hygiene, no facilities of nursing rooms are among the other reasons which make the environment far from encouraging to protect the right of a child to be breastfed irrespective of where they are. 

Michelle Branch, an American singer, recently took to her social media after getting flak by another mother for breastfeeding in public. Branch wrote, “I am in shock that this kind of judgment was coming from a fellow mom!”

I just got shamed by another mother (who was holding her own young infant!) for nursing my 6 week old baby on a bench at a playground while my toddler was playing 🤯 She said I wasn’t “being modest” I am in shock that this kind of judgement was coming from a fellow mom!

— Michelle Branch (@michellebranch) March 15, 2022

Well, it is ironic that you’ll find a smoking room around different public spaces, but rarely you would find a nursing room to breastfeed a child.

The concerning thing is the fact, in 2022, women aren’t able to enjoy the freedom to breastfeed in peace. The possibility of being stared at, photographed, and harassed grips the basic fact of life. 

According to the survey conducted by Mompresso.com, a user-generated platform for Moms, 93% of lactating mothers feel uncomfortable in public because of a lack of breastfeeding facilities. 

No Space For Breastfeeding In Public

Shaili (name changed), a resident of Delhi, says, “I felt extremely uncomfortable breastfeeding in public during the first few months. I was directed to the washroom. We wouldn’t want to eat in a freaking public toilet, so why do many think it’s okay to tell a mother to breastfeed their child in a stinking toilet where they themselves wouldn’t eat?”

Pallavee, an IT professional with a leading firm in Gurugram, says, “I have breastfed my child in public parks, toilets, malls, restaurants, and trains. I was nervous when I had to nurse in public, surrounded by glares. I will never understand why breastfeeding in public is shamed upon. There are no places where I can breastfeed peacefully. I gotta feed my baby.”

“I do not attract anyone’s gaze while I breastfeed my child,” said one respondent.

As of now, there is no law in the country which mandates public spaces to have lactation rooms. If metro stations had a nursing room, we, as a society, normalize breastfeeding and not stare when a woman breast-feeds. It could have enabled that lady on the train and many more like her to take care of her infant without panicking and rushing to avoid the stares of objectification.  

We need society and laws to build a more empowering and accessible environment for lactating mothers and build necessary infrastructure which is clean and safe for a mother to breastfeed their child.

Let’s Support Nursing Mothers!

Larissa Waters, an Australian MP, made international headlines in 2017 when she breastfed her 14-week-old baby while addressing the nation’s parliament. Her gesture is a clear representation of how rarely there have been talks about breastfeeding in public.

Larissa Waters, Australian senator, breastfeeding her baby, while addressing the Parliament.
Source: YouTube screengrab

Babies need to be fed. Let’s be more empathetic and make it better for them without making them feel unnerved. The feeling of humankind should incite compassion and not oppose or associate accusations of indecency with breastfeeding.

Instead of misogynistic attempts to shame the natural act of feeding babies, let’s ensure to normalize the gaze with which the society views the act of breastfeeding and work on providing well maintained accessible for all spaces, free from intrusion at workplaces, malls, metro stations, railway stations and other public spaces for women to nurse their children without the fear of public glare. 

Let’s ensure no lactating mother gets directed towards the toilet to feed their babies. Let’s not objectify a mother’s choice – the next time!

Also Read: Placenta: The Life Supporting Organ

breastfeedingBreastfeeding in publicLactationLactation daysMomlifeNormalise breastfeedingObjectification of breastfeeding

Misha

Related Posts

Parenting 5 mins Read

Parenting Tips: Ways To Address Smartphone Addiction In Teenagers

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin November, 27 2021 | 10:00 AM
Parenting 4 mins Read

What Is Birth Trauma And Why Women Need Positive Birth Experiences?

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin October, 27 2020 | 02:37 PM
Parenting 2 mins Read

Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Here Is a Tribute To All Dads

Written By: Infano June, 21 2020 | 11:56 AM
Parenting 2 mins Read

WHY SEX EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR GIRLS

Written By: Infano January, 23 2021 | 02:53 PM
Parenting 3 mins Read

Here is all you needed to know about the POCSO Act

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin January, 26 2021 | 12:24 PM
Parenting 3 mins Read

Power of Vaccines – Here’s why vaccinating your child is important

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin July, 16 2020 | 01:46 PM
Parenting 3 mins Read

How to Deal With Children and Exams: The Parental Guide

Written By: Infano July, 1 2020 | 03:05 PM
Health & Fitness 4 mins Read

“My Husband Encouraged Me To Breastfeed Our Child — In Public!”

Written By: Sonali August, 6 2020 | 01:06 PM
Parenting 4 mins Read

This Mother Has A Message For New Parents On World Breastfeeding Week

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin August, 4 2021 | 10:40 AM
Parenting 5 mins Read

Breastfeeding: A Site Of Objectification?

Written By: Misha March, 20 2022 | 12:45 PM
Parenting 4 mins Read

How to help your teenager handle a heartbreak?

Written By: Suhani Sharma June, 6 2021 | 09:00 AM
Parenting 3 mins Read

How to raise boys in the 21st century!

Written By: Infano February, 5 2021 | 12:06 PM
Parenting 4 mins Read

#MothersDay: How The Journey Of Motherhood Gave This Woman A New Muse In Her Life!

Written By: Sonali May, 9 2021 | 12:41 PM
Parenting 3 mins Read

Is PDA In The Presence Of Kids Okay?

Written By: Shweta Singh October, 3 2022 | 01:30 PM
Parenting < 1

Weird things about your newborn baby

Written By: Infano April, 27 2020 | 05:08 AM
Parenting 4 mins Read

Valentine’s Day: A Time For Stress For Parents Of Teens And Young Adults?

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin February, 14 2022 | 02:40 PM

Subscribe to our Newsletter

To keep yourself updated with women-related news around the globe, articles, opinions, suggestions and exclusive offers that you should not miss, subscribe to our newsletter.

    Home | About Us | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | Cancellations and Refund Policy | Privacy Policy
    © 2023 Infano Women's Health | Lifestyle | Success Stories • Powered by GeneratePress

    Insert/edit link

    Enter the destination URL

    Or link to existing content

      No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.