Monday
Mar292010
Delurk! (or in other words...please say hello)
Monday, March 29, 2010 
I have some post ideas percolating in my mind. But I've also been busy and haven't had a ton of time to write. Last year at this time, I did a delurking and open thread post and encouraged people who read the blog, but don't get around to commenting, to come out and say hello. So, I've decided to do it again.
Last year I wrote:
You see, every day hundreds of people visit my blog. Sure, many of them come in from search engines and only look at the one post they landed on and then never come back. But a lot of people do come back, over and over again, and I really appreciate that. But most of them never leave a comment. And that’s fine. I know not everyone wants to jump in and comment. But I’m curious. Will you satisfy my curiosity for me, just this once? Pretty please?
And 33 people left me comments, including people like Tamara from Parenting by Nature, , Desiree Fawn from So Fawned, Shannon from a Crafty Mom, Heather from the bee in your bonnet, Anji from ghostlove, VDog from Room704, Tara from Feels Like Home, The Noble Savage, Amanda from Family Nature, Loukia from Loulou's Views, Jessica from This is Worthwhile, and many more. I've gotten to know these fine bloggers of the course of the year and would like to get to know many more of you.
If you are a regular reader and you haven't commented before or haven't commented in a while, would you drop me a comment to say hello? If you need a topic to write on, tell me what you would like to see me write about in the future. Or just write whatever you like.
No more new posts until enough new people fess up to reading this blog and say hello! :) Let's aim for at least the 33 comments I got last year.
Ready...set....go!
Image credit: miuenski on flickr
Reader Comments (192)
Yeh, I lurk here.
Hello there, I was reading than I was going to post a reply, but I really wanted to add an idea. I hope you don't mind :|
My sister was a late talker as well. Our pediatrician, at the time, found out the real issue, and it was me! I spoke for her so she did not need to speak. Do you think this could be a bit of an issue or something to think if it applies? Good luck on figuring this out :)
Hi!
Just de-lurking...
Love your blog. You put things in such a well thought out, informed way.
Keep up the good work.
Hello there!
I actually found you via KM when I clicked on your signature. I have been reading and sharing ever since.
I try to comment if there is something I can add to the conversation, most times things I am thinking about are already there. Other times, as you know, my night owl just nursed to sleep and typing would wake her up again.
You are actually the one of the few people (the rest was from KM) that gave me the idea of starting a blog. Although I am not really great at it. It's good to do. I am interested in knowing all the good things that will become of this fine place.
Hi. I've never commented before. I'm not a mother. Not a parent. I don't even remember how I found your blog. But I read. So hi.
Hi!
I first commented on your post regarding blog stats. I'm relatively new reader, reading via Google Reader and rarely step by. I discovered you last fall. Good resource, I have enjoyed variety of topics and all this has made me make braver choices regarding my own phd topic choices and plans. I'm mother of a 4-year old son. Being a mother has been a very educational journey for me.
Hello, und guten morgen. I don't always leave a comment, but I'm always reading!
well it looks like you have got a lot more than last year already, but I'll add another - hi *waves* I come by often but don't comment much. sorry about that, will try to do better.
Hi!
I'm a french mother of a 18-months old and I have read your blog for a year with great interest. I don't always agree with you 100% but I am made to think a lot... I don't comment much on american or english blogs in general, I confess : I need a lot of time to sum up my thoughts and it's much worse in english....
Thank you for yout toughts provoking posts!
Hi,
I found your blog from a link on a breastfeeding forum over a year ago and have been an avid reader ever since. I work on computers for a job, so i dont spend a lot of time doing leisure activities on them, so i rarely comment. In fact, I only commented last week when a blog topic surprised me - weird huh! This is pretty much the only blog i read. i look forward to it and have read a lot of past articles too. I especially like your library and have found several books from here. I have learned a lot about breastfeeding advocacy among other things.
I do have a computer geek comment - your main home page doesn't have a title set.
Thanks for sharing :)
~~Kim
I've never commented here before, so here you go. I put your blog in my RSS reader after running across it randomly at some point -- because I might decide to try to have a child in the next few years and even if I don't, I'm interested in related issues. I don't comment because I'm not a parent, and I've found that non-parents get attacked (on the internet and in real life) for having opinions on parenting issues.
Hi! I never comment, but I am reading you for some months already... I am the mother of a 7 months old baby boy. Cheers!
I'm not sure which digital strands led me here the first time - Twitter, FriendFeed, another blog, maybe a Facebook share. But I'm glad to be a regular reader. I'm the mom of an almost-5yo boy, a feminist, a freelance writer and grateful for your thoughtful, lucid posts.
Hi! I really enjoy your blog and your writing overall. I consider myself a researcher (although honestly, dropping out of my PhD was one of the best decisions of my life!) and I appreciate your rational approach to parenting topics.
I'd love to see you write about attachment parenting and schooling - a la perhaps Alfie Kohn and Gordon Newfeld. I'm debating the merits of public school vs. alternative schools vs. french immersion vs. home schooling. Any thoughts?
And thanks again for your writing. Karen
Hi there! Thanks for the invitation to comment! ;) I've been reading for a while (not sure how I first discovered your site) and would like to thank you for your hard work on this blog and your ongoing advocacy.
Fairly recent lurker here...I found your blog via another blog I follow and really love your writing. It is concise, educational as well as managing to be unoffensive - which is really hard to pull off when you are writing about confrontational subjects! I have three children, who are all past the toddler stage now, but I subscribed after reading "Because I said so" vs "You're not the boss of me!" It was so applicable to parenting in general, and especially the way I aspire to parent. I'm pretty new to the blogging world, been reading blogs for six or eight months, and just went public with my own recently, so I'm always 'out there' finding new fantastic things to read. Your blog counts in that category. Thanks.
I honestly can't remember how I stumbled upon your blog a few months ago, but the first thing I noticed is that your section on traveling with young kids (and nursing on a plane) was excellent and very reflective of my own experiences. I don't always agree with everything you write, but I'm still reading along because it's always interesting. I also like reading blogs written by other Canadian women - I'm living in Thailand at the moment, and I like to think that it's one way to keep connected to home.
I'm another regular reader via GR . . . My name's Miranda, I'm 25, American, but living in Switzerland. We don't have kids (yet!), but somehow I still relate to, and love, this blog!
Hi! I added you to my feed reader about a month or two ago -- both a reason I guess I'm not a "regular reader", but also why I don't comment much! I really appreciate having the Canadian perspective on the issues you post about, seeing as I live in Toronto.
Yo! I've been reading for a while. I don't have much support for my parenting philosophies 'in real life' so I really enjoy all of the bloggers out there who are supplying me with pats on the head about my beliefs. You solidly fall in that camp :) I'm not a 'blogger' per se, but I have been journaling online for many years. I just don't have a 'brand' in any of the typical sense of that word. I just write about whatever crap is going on in my life. :)
NAK!! :)
I think I've commented on your posts and have definitely RT'd you lots but mostly when I read your posts I think "Yes! Exactly!" And usually don't have too much to add to what you've said.
In general though, reading your blog is like a breath of fresh air. I was raised by an attachment-parenting single mom with, especially at the time, very "radical" ideas about parenting (i.e. equality, respect and reason rather than Authority, empathy and understanding rather than punishment) and have found myself fighting against mainstream ideas about kids and parenting ever since I was a kid.
As a grad student studying children, parents and schooling, I've been inundated with a surprising amount of uncritical, unreflective and conservative ideas regarding children often put forth by people who are incredibly progressive and forward-thinking in many other areas (it's strange how many feminist, queer-theory and otherwise egalitarian focused scholars still see children as second-class citizens and less than deserving of full human/personhood status). In my experience, many people in academia are willing and able to think very critically about almost any topic and engage in a worthwhile debate without falling back on cultural aphorisms and clichés but when it comes to children, parenting and cultural beliefs, very few people are willing to really reflect on what they do and/or believe.
Anyway, in all that discussion and me ramming my head against the wall of "because that's the way it is" your blog lightens my load. You get where I'm coming from, you encourage me to continue not only fighting for change but also to continue thinking critically about what I'm fighting for and be open to different perspectives without giving up my beliefs. I don't have kids yet but I send links from your posts to my many friends with little ones who are struggling to find their places as peaceful, attached and responsive mammas in a world that seems to keep pushing them to be otherwise.
So, that's me "de-lurked" and incredibly grateful for everything you do :)
Hi -- I post on KM so "knew" you from there. I followed you to your blog as soon as you posted a link to it. I love getting a Canadian perspective, especially regarding breastfeeding, baby-wearing, WOHMs, Nestle info.
I've commented a couple times but mostly just read and ponder.
Hi, I follow you here and on twitter as well. I guess, like many other people who have commented here, I probably qualify as a "lurker" although I really don't mean to. Most of the time, I simply run out of time to complete a thought and a few days later it doesn't seem relevant or isn't really adding to the conversation anymore. So in case I don't come out of the shadows for a couple more months or more, I want to take a moment now to tell you how instrumental your blog has been in my own parenting journey. I really appreciate how information-heavy your posts are as well as all the links you include to other resources. Also, I will try to comment more often!
Hi, I'm a lurker too. I actually quite like the word 'lurk', though I know how nice it is to get comments, too. I don't always feel I have much to add to the conversation, but I definitely enjoy reading.
I'm a Canadian mom of 2, living in a small town in Argentina, occasionally experiencing some parental culture shock. I appreciate feeling a bit more grounded in my own perspectives by reading blogs like yours, as here I often feel quite alone with respect to *some* aspects of parenting.
Just started reading your blog about a month ago. I'm a pregnant academic and I was looking for something astute and engaging to read on parenthood online.
Hi! I usually miss these delurking days for some reason, but I guess I came back on the right day! Thanks for writing what you do. I have got a lot of info from your website and I really appreciate the research you do about Nestle.
Hope you have a great day!
Becky
I've been reading you for awhile. Your blog was suggested by googlereader and it's really interesting.
If you live in Canada, I can assure you 100% that the government did not sell your info to Nestle without your consent. I don't know the privacy laws in the US enough to comment.
I think it's more likely that it was a maternity clothing store, Babies R Us, or some other commercial outfit. My Nestle sample pack came through signing up for a raffle at Thyme Maternity.
I tend to surf while pumping at work! My wee one is a year old (this weekend!) and we are still going strong in the breastfeeding department. I had just assumed I'd wean her at a year since that's what "the books" talk about, but I'm just going to keep going for now. I, too, love hearing about extended breastfeeding.
I'll chime in. I don't think I've commented on here before, but I really do enjoy reading your blog. I'm new to this parenting gig, and I'm a research maniac. I consider this one of my "sources" of fodder for when I'm heavily ruminating on a topic. So, thanks!
Not sure how I found you but I love reading your blog! Thanks for writing!
Hi there! I'm a new blogger & I've just recently come across your blog. I admit to being a lurker most of the time, although I'm starting to come out of my shell a bit. What a great idea "delurking" is - I love it! If you ever have a chance, stop by and say "hey!" It's getting a little lonely with just me & my 2 followers:)
Hi PhD
I will add my thoughts as I am a dedicated "lurker" follower, but have only every commented once before for a contest.
I found you while searching for blogs about extended breastfeeding. My son is 26 months and our last baby, so I hope for it to last for awhile yet, he is not terribly verbal yet (thanks to the other commenter above who sent the link to LateTalkers!), so I really want to nurse until we can really chat about it. My daughter who is four was much more verbal but weaned at 20 months while I was pregnant with her brother.
Some other notes: thanks for sharing about Nestle. My mom made us boycott when I was very little, but I thought the story was "over". I am trying hard to notice what I buy (especially at Easter chocolate time).
Finally, I would love to read your thoughts about the support in Canada for returning to work and continuing to nurse and figuring out pumping when your child is over the age of 1! I live in Calgary and there was lots of "help" to be found in the early stages of nursing. But with so many women taking the entire year for mat leave and being encouraged to nurse past one year "as long as mother and child want", it seems like the public system has dropped the ball in helping us actually do that! One of the reasons I started reading so much online and heading to LLL was that I really couldn't figure out how to go back to work (even part-time) and keep up. Of course we managed, but it was a lot of extra work that was difficult to plan for - I recall desperately uncomfortable driving to get my daughter from the dayhome, so that I could nurse her before walking the dog even though I had pumped lots already during the day.
Thanks for your writing!
Hi!
I read often too but I'm afraid to comment because sometimes our views clash. Most of the time they are totally together but sometimes...sometimes I feel like if we knew each other we'd have a shouting match...LOL
All that said, I read because I think you do a fabulous job in educating and enlightening folks on attachment parenting - it's hard to get anyone to understand why I feel so strongly about extended breastfeeding and co sleeping.
Honestly, the only subject that we are going to have to agree to disagree on is the whole Nestle Boycott. I adopted my first two children and although I successfully induced lactation it would have never been enough so supplementing was the only way to go and having had people look at me while they nursed and I feeding my daughters a bottle with beady eyes and judging might have produced a bias. Who knows?
I have been reading regularly for a month or so now, but am pretty shy about jumping in unless I really want to say something. This is one of the few blogs I check daily though, and I find so many of the topics interesting.
Hi there! I've been reading for a few months!
I found your blog through Kellymom's Facebook group a few weeks ago. I love reading a thoughtful perspective on how we think about children and parenting in our society.
It looks like you got more then 33 comments, where is the new post?
I'm a frequent lurker and occasional commenter. Thanks for the babywearing, breastfeeding and Nestle-related posts in particular. I often refer friends to your blog.
Hi, it seems I stopped by at the right time - this is my first visit to your blog and my first comment on any blog. I'm new to the parenting world and found you while researching opinions on on the CIO method - well said!
Well, I'm not exactly a lurker - but I'll say hi anyway.
Hi!
This is also my mental kick in the pants to send you a couple of overdue emails. I'm sure you will be breathless with anticipation ;)
I'm an occasional commenter, it's one of my current goals to leave more comments because I know how thrilled I am when I get any. But I have a confession - I'm yet to work out readers. If a blog has an email rss I'm fine, but I've tried subscribing to a few without and don't know where they are - there are all these posts sitting in cyberspace waiting for me to find them!
But this is a great opportunity, because I actually gave you a http://science-at-home.org/blogging-award/" rel="nofollow">Kreativ Blogger Award and told my readers to come over here, but I've been looking for a way to tell you - I didn't want to throw it into the middle of an interesting discussion! So there you are, thankyou for a delurking post.
Before I had a baby, I read parenting sites and didn't feel I had permission to comment (from myself, obviously, since who else was going to give it to me?). Since having a baby, I still read parenting sites, but have so much less time and energy to put into coherent thoughts! Hoping that starts to change, now that he's a year old...
Wow I think you managed to make your goal! Well done!
I pop over for a read from time to time but can't believe I haven't subscribed yet... off to do that now!
Hi there. I read your blog now and then because a friend on Facebook is a regular reader and she passes on some topics to me and others. Good stuff!
[...] to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates from my blog.Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginIn my delurking post yesterday, quite a few people said that they don’t usually comment on my blog because they [...]
For everyone who claimed not to comment because they were nursing at the keyboard, unless you are nursing more than one at once, no more excuses. See my latest post Nursing at Keyboard (NAK): How to give boob and type too: http://bit.ly/bAdUAX
/delurk
howdy. I mostly read but don't comment - because of my last, incomprehensibleness.
/relurk
Thanks for saying hello Devan.
That's wonderful Katie. We need more women like you out there helping empowering moms for birth and breastfeeding.