baby hate

I am sick of celebs and others who won't shut up about their babies, pregnancies and children. Many trot them out for photo ops and publicity, and I guess it works. I recall Maggie Gyllenhaal saying that the paparazzi were never interested in her before she became pregnant and gave birth. This baby love is infesting the culture in general, too. with baby blogs multiplying on the web. My own sister-in-law has one, with frequent updates, complete with photos and often very long written passages detailing trips to the zoo, the aquarium, the woods, etc. There was a time when boring dinner guests and others with baby pictures was considered the height of clueless, gauche behaviour, but in the age of the blog, it seems it is not so anymore. It doesn't matter that the blogs are meant for family and friends only. We need to remind breeders that their children are not special, and that the world doesn't care much about them, or revolve around them. Of course, I am largely indifferent to the charms of small children, so my opinion is somewhat biased. I don't hate children, I hate making them the focal point of everything. Some of my fondest childhood memories were just watching adults converse, and interact, often oblivious to my existence. I was acknowledged, but never allowed to dominate everything, except at maybe a birthday party or child-centric event.