A Conversation About Babies

[poliphilo]

"Now there are real babies around," says Ailz. "I can see that my pets are simply baby substitutes."

"That's a woman thing," I say. "Women must have something in their brains that makes them respond to small helpless creatures. I know I don't have it."

"The need to have something totally dependent on you," she says.

"For me," I say, "babies are just potential human beings. I value them for what they're going to become. The sooner they're out of the drooling, up-chucking, helpless stage the better."

"I suspect the babies feel that way too," says Ailz.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

And yet - I have at least two male friends who did and do everything BUT birth the baby - they are the ones who take care of the child, feed, change, etc.

I know. They are exceptions to the 'rule'. And they do have perfectly competent female partners.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There are always exceptions. And plenty of women who have no feeling at all for babies.

I'm "good" with babies and small children, but I'm not drawn to them. I wouldn't care if I never dandled another one again.

[red-girl-42.livejournal.com]

I'm one of those women. When I'm out with other women and a baby comes along, they all go nuts wanting to hold it, and I just don't have any urge to do that. I loved my son as a baby with a maternal ferocity, but I was eagerly awaiting the day he could walk and talk and DO things. I have SO much more fun with him now than I ever did when he was a baby. And while sometimes I wish we had another little kid in the house, I have never felt the urge to have another baby.

My husband, on the other hand (and my son, actually), LOVES babies.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My instinct, when I'm with babies, is to teach them things- nursery rhymes, whatever- anything to get their brain cells working and lift them out of their puddingy helplessness.