Yahoo LifestyleTime Magazine causes controvery with breastfeeding cover
Time Magazine’s latest cover has caused controversy with a picture of a mother breastfeeding her nearly four-year-old son.
In the cover photo, Jamie Lynne Grumet is featured with her three-year-old son Aram, who stands on a small chair to suckle on her breast.
The bold coverline reads: ‘Are you mom enough?[sic]”
The 26-year-old mum from Los Angeles says she practices ‘attachment parenting’ and applies the same method to her adopted five-year-old son, Samuel.
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In her interview with the magazine, she also goes on to say that she was breastfed until six years of age by her mother and has fond memories of the experience:
'It's really warm. It's like embracing your mother, like a hug. You feel comforted, nurtured and really, really loved. I had so much self-confidence as a child, and I know it's from that.'
While Ms Grumet acknowledges her own parenting techniques, which were founded by U.S. pediatrician Dr William Sears, are not exactly orthodox, reactions to her cover story have certainly been explosive.
Many on Twitter declared their outrage at the issue, feeling it was exploiting children, namely Aram, in an attempt to sell more magazines.
One Twitter user said, “If the Time Magazine cover was honest’ and link to a photo which replaced the text ‘Are you mom enough?’ with ‘Are you desperate to sell more magazines?[sic]”.
Middleclassfami added, “#Time Magazine As someone whose breastfeed ALL of my children even I was shocked by this. Who needs it more? Mum or child?”
@GeroDynamics said: “Age not the point, but kid's face shown on cover? Bad choice!”
With such an emotive issue it’s no surprise that there are people firmly planted in both camps.
@Bikil writes: “I still breastfeed my daughter and she's 4, people freaking out about Time Magazine cover should learn before they judge.”
The World Health Organisastion recommends breastfeeding a child up to the age of two or beyond.
What do you think about the photo? Is it acceptable to breastfeed a three-year-old child?
