Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 28 Editor's Choice: 4
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re: "The stay-at-home mystique"
[Read the article: The stay-at-home mystique]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Just reading Rebecca Traister's article about the new stay-at-home-mom magazine Total 180 scared me, and I am a mostly-SAHM with three kids. (In the interests of full disclosure, I work 16 hours a week, mostly while my husband is home with the kids.)
Yes, my other mom friends and I kvetch about our husbands and our kids (as you do about anyone with whom you spend that much time), but I can tell you this: not a single one of our husbands would "step over the garbage bag to get a beer." Whether our husbands are more sensitive, more involved, or maybe simply have been asked more directly to do something, they are without exception working as hard as we are - financially supporting the family, yes, but also feeding, cleaning, doing the neverending laundry, running errands - the list goes on and on, and my husband plugs away at it as resolutely as I do.
Maybe Debbie Klett and her colleagues need to stop writing, however "humorously," about everything they feel is lacking and start talking to their husbands, family, babysitters, whoever, and ask nicely for some more help. Then they can all kick back with a glass of wine in front of the fire.
And Rebecca, if you want to read a magazine that explores these sorts of topics clearly and thoroughly, right on target, check out Brain, Child magazine. It's not just for SAHMs but not a single issue is read without my feeling like they have my life with its joys, frustrations, and fears covered.
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canoodling with our children
[Read the article: When is it time to stop "canoodling" with our children?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Jesus, is she trying to screw up her kids? They LOVE her. How can she not allow them to express that?
There is NOTHING sexual about the physical affection normal parents share with their children. My two-year-old routinely kisses me and his dad and his brothers and his grandparents full on the mouth. It is one of the ways he tells us how he feels for us - he's not slipping us tongue.
I am the mother of three young boys and if my future ten-year-old wants to kiss my cheek and stroke my hair, he can do so innocently. It will stop soon enough. And I will be sad when it does, but I will understand.
Of course, I am also one of those freaks who breastfeeds, and we all know how sexual that is.
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re: Giving nursing moms a break at work
[Read the article: Giving nursing moms a break at work]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have pumped for three babies.
My first I used a storage closet that had a chair, outlets, a lock on the door, and a fridge in it. I was salaried so my breaks were whenever I needed them. It was ideal. Primo got to a year being breastfed.
My second I was in grad school, and there was NOWHERE to pump in private. So I generally didn't, but since I only had class two days a week, I maanged to get him to nine months on breastmilk the rest of the week.
This baby is 4 months old. I pump in the staff ladies' room vestibule, which is not quite as private as I'd like but it's better than running an extension cord into the handicapped toilet stall. (My boss has offered her office, but that could get very awkward what with her meetings and whatnot, and she's already asked how long I intend to pump.) I'm a reference librarian, so the tricky thing is disappearing from the desk for fifteen minutes three times a day, especially on Saturdays when I am the only librarian there. I put up a sign saying I'll be back at whatever time and so far have had no trouble.
It's not as easy as it could be, but it's way better than some women's situations.
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re King Kaufman's Olympics coverage
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Ok, King, you made me laugh so hard I dribbled coffee out of my nose. Your Olympic coverage is fast approaching Gary Kamiya's never-before-rivaled and hilarious coverage of the 2000 Summer Games. I think the two of you could perhaps team up to cover any sport and garner an audience. I'd listen to you commentate curling, for God's sake. Or synchronized swimming.
Or a marbles tournament.
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proofreading
[Read the article: High colonic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The world can use all the decent proofreaders it can get, because, my God, people mangle the language something fierce. Its/it's; further/farther; fewer/less than - don't even get me started on incorrectly-used adverbs, dropping or splitting infinitives, and poor spelling.
And that's just the everyday people; many published authors would benefit greatly from a ruthless and sure proofreader.
When I worked as a scenic artist, painting backdrops for theatre, I was considered highly skilled, but not inspired, not creative.
I also have worked as a proofreader, but I have no authorial aspirations, and am not inspired to try my hand at creating a work of literary art.
I AM an excellent proofreader, quick, competent, and sure.
I have no trouble with my categorization as a excellent and skilled craftsman, rather than an artist.
Never have, never will. I provide a necessary service, and I do it well.
Not everyone can.
And, just to be a pain, I long for the days when you had to pass through an editorial gauntlet to get a letter published by Salon.