Life Without Baby

filling the silence in the motherhood discussion

Comments

  1. My thoughts every time I see one of these. That sign is pure genius. I wonder if the makers of infant safety seats like the implication that their products are inadequate.

  2. Completely agree! Was in the car with MIL and SIL(who is pregnant), a car cut us off and MIL starts yelling “we have precious cargo” in here while pointing to my SIL belly. Took everything in me not to yell, “We are all precious!” So tired of being treated like second class citizen

    • I totally agree! I find in North America you are nothing if you aren’t reproducing, you just don’t matter as much. It’s not as bad in a lot of European places. I miss it.

  3. That’s awesome. So many times in conversations people will say, “especially the children”, or Christmas is for the children, or amusement parks are for kids. It’s exhausting. I like to think I would not have been one of those people that completely lose their identity to their children…

    • Oh my goodness, right?? My SIL, who knows we tried for years, told me a couple weeks ago, “Christmas is definitely more fun when you have kids.” This, after I had just told her that Christmas has been especially hard. Ugh.

      • Hi Mel! re christmas: I make and sell toys – Christmas is my wheelhouse; I AM an elf… And I HATE “christmas is for kids” – NO it so isn’t. I OFTEN tell people how my family, of which *I* am the youngest (in mah 40’s), gives each other toys and silly things (one year I gave my Mom an inflatable Sumo costume and my brother gave me an inflatable lawn dragon (unbeknownst to each other!) and there was the most EPIC battle in the living room, it was AWESOME!) and we have short christmasses (because we all work then!) but they’re delightful – and my husband’s family, where there are 2 young nieces, are, frankly, BORING. The girls get toys, of which they have a billion more – there’s the momentary greed and then everything’s forgotten for a movie or computer game (or now, texting on their phones…) and the adults make no effort to actually have fun! So kids don’t actually improve xmes, at all. Next year, get fun stuff for yourself and any fun people you can find, DO something fun, BE the fun, and ignore the kiddies. ;o)

  5. I hate those signs, along with the stick figure family decals. Passed a van once that had like 8 kid stick figures on it. Like shouldn’t you drive carefully no matter what, not just because a baby is on board. Funny thing is in the school zones by me it’s usually the mini van moms speeding and passing you for going the speed limit.

  6. Love that sign! It’s way overdue! Fyi, in my state, the governor’s race is heating up and all the political ads are about “the future for OUR CHILDREN!”
    Um, what about all of the *adults* facing skyrocketing health insurance costs, immigration issues, job loss, the opioid crisis, and rising daily living costs, especially food, and many other important issues???

  7. My fave snarky take on this is the stickers that say, “NO BABY ON BOARD–FEEL FREE TO DRIVE INTO ME.”

  8. OH. MY. ARG.

    Yea, “Think of the child!” < I live above a storefront an there's 2 apartments up here. My neighbour has a toddler. We were having heating issues – first, our unit was WAY too hot (over 33 C / 92 F degrees and rising) – but his unit was fine (bit warm but he liked it that way). I was dying! I work from home and I have health issues; I could barely move. My husband couldn't sleep and his work and ability to drive safely were suffering.

    My neighbour actually asked me NOT to talk to the landlord bc he feared his apt would get cold (it had been too cold the previous winter). His argument: "Think of the child!" Now, his child ALSO has some health issues. But, and here's where I might get into trouble saying this, I NEED TO PAY RENT. I have responsibilities, his child does not – I actually think MY "comfort" (or properly worded: my need to exist in a tolerable environment) is MORE important than his child's!! I believe BOTH units should be reasonable, but I will NOT sacrifice myself for his toddler – not when, if we work together, we can find a solution for BOTH units! ARG!

    Then the weather changed, and the neighbour's unit DID get too cold. And he was dragging his poor child to me, to the landlord, to the guy in the restaurant below, and trying to get us all to feel how cold the child's arm was – um, ICK! I do NOT want to touch your child! (I BELIEVE you that it's cold! my unit was also cold by then, too – his was 16 degrees C, mine was 19). We had an argument in the stairway with the landlord – me and the neighbour insisting the temperature problem get solved, but both men rolling their eyes at me for insisted we NOT let MY apt. become boiling again – I actually, literally, yelled at them that I would NOT stand for that. They went meek and agreed that wouldn't be a good thing…

    Anyway, the weather outside is now mild, and we haven't had temperature issues lately (when it gets too warm here I can open windows, and that's working well enough right now.) Who knows what'll happen as winter goes on. Sigh.