Rescue at sea for sick baby

[sfbaynancydrew]

I guess I'm in the minority on this one as I think that studio apartment is inspired. To me, the girls look extremely well cared for, happy and very loved. The closet thing is weird, but I get the impression that this is a temporary home in their life's journey and therefore they'll either be moving on before the girls get so big that their "bedroom" is ridiculous or they'll upgrade bedroom conditions.

I do find the bloggers to be sanctimonious about their lifestyle, but then again, so are a lot of the commenters here.

Seriously, with all of the abuse/neglect of children, I'm just not seeing the problems. Our first world luxuries are not a foregone conclusion to everyone and different lifestyles don't bother me at all. I'm sure this place looks like a palace to some families in Japan!

C'mon you guys...listen to how you're judging every little thing this family does. JMO!

 

[LinasK]

I guess I'm in the minority on this one as I think that studio apartment is inspired. To me, the girls look extremely well cared for, happy and very loved. The closet thing is weird, but I get the impression that this is a temporary home in their life's journey and therefore they'll either be moving on before the girls get so big that their "bedroom" is ridiculous or they'll upgrade bedroom conditions.

I do find the bloggers to be sanctimonious about their lifestyle, but then again, so are a lot of the commenters here.

Seriously, with all of the abuse/neglect of children, I'm just not seeing the problems. Our first world luxuries are not a foregone conclusion to everyone and different lifestyles don't bother me at all. I'm sure this place looks like a palace to some families in Japan!

C'mon you guys...listen to how you're judging every little thing this family does. JMO!

That's because everything they do is adult centered with no regard for their children. They are not child-centered at all, so why have kids? I think forcing your kids to sleep in a closet borders on abuse. Especially when they have a loft. It's just like the pattern of the mothers' selfishness in making a cake for herself, then lying to her kids about it, as if they couldn't smell it!

 

[MyBelle]

I guess I'm in the minority on this one as I think that studio apartment is inspired. To me, the girls look extremely well cared for, happy and very loved. The closet thing is weird, but I get the impression that this is a temporary home in their life's journey and therefore they'll either be moving on before the girls get so big that their "bedroom" is ridiculous or they'll upgrade bedroom conditions.

I do find the bloggers to be sanctimonious about their lifestyle, but then again, so are a lot of the commenters here.

Seriously, with all of the abuse/neglect of children, I'm just not seeing the problems. Our first world luxuries are not a foregone conclusion to everyone and different lifestyles don't bother me at all. I'm sure this place looks like a palace to some families in Japan!

C'mon you guys...listen to how you're judging every little thing this family does. JMO!

Isn't judgment from a complete stranger exactly what a blog invites?

This couple have a pack 'n play. There is no reason their infant, who very recently recovered from a serious illness shouldn't be sleeping it it rather than the floor of a closet.

JMO

 

[Linda7NJ]

That's because everything they do is adult centered with no regard for their children. They are not child-centered at all, so why have kids? I think forcing your kids to sleep in a closet borders on abuse. Especially when they have a loft. It's just like the pattern of the mothers' selfishness in making a cake for herself, then lying to her kids about it, as if they couldn't smell it!

That cake thing...makes my blood boil!

The floor thing not so much. My own loved to sleep on his floor in a sleeping bag. He got the sleeping bag for Christmas when he was three. He had two beds. A small convertible with the crib mattress and a twin bed. Nope....I'd tuck him in & find him on the floor. I put away the sleeping bag. He "made one" out of his blanket and I'd find him on the floor.
Finally, I bought one of those one man dome tents and put that up with his sleeping bag inside. He was happy as a clam and that's where he slept until he was like 5!



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[MyBelle]

When the girls outgrow their closet in a few months maybe they can train them to sleep in it standing up, or strap them to surfboards or something and prop them against the closet wall.

And I agree with Linda, it really is a cool little loft. But I still wouldn't keep my kids in a closet.

For a minute I was actually hoping they were posting the closet pics as a joke to get a rise out of people, and they really had a cool bedroom for the girls they weren't showing us.

I really think the woman thinks it is cool that she is "decorating" the floor of the closet for her kids and then blocking their escape with an infant gate. Their own little cell. Fabric and paint seem to be Mom's focus.

 

[LinasK]

I really think the woman thinks it is cool that she is "decorating" the floor of the closet for her kids and then blocking their escape with an infant gate. Their own little cell. Fabric and paint seem to be Mom's focus.

Anyone can decorate a cell. It's still abusive.

 

[MyBelle]

Anyone can decorate a cell. It's still abusive.

I agree. It's also a safety issue. But then, these are the same parents who literally strapped their infant to her bed in their boat.

JMO

 

[sfbaynancydrew]

Isn't judgment from a complete stranger exactly what a blog invites?

This couple have a pack 'n play. There is no reason their infant, who very recently recovered from a serious illness shouldn't be sleeping it it rather than the floor of a closet.

JMO

Sure, I'm just saying the nit-picky things that people are even going so far as to say are "abuse" just astounds me. But again--jmo, I can agree to disagree about it.

Pack n plays are extremely uncomfortable looking...I had a friend bring one over when I babysat and it was a nice one--but a thin vinyl pad on top of cardboard on top of metal bars looked unpleasant. A closet with a big old cushy foam and a gate to protect the baby, not to mention getting to snuggle with her sister, looks a lot more soft, warm and comfy. Honestly now that I think about it, it's sort of a defacto crib. *shrug*

I like you guys so I can agree to disagree, but I felt compelled to throw in my perspective into the mix.

As for the previous poster who said their approach wasn't "child-centered", well again, that's up to interpretation. I see a mom who spends every waking minute with her kids, who buys them fresh vegetables and organic foods, who furnishes her house with child friendly furniture, has toys and art supplies and pictures of her girls actively participating in creating the family's home...looks child centered enough to me.

Again, jmo. I get that it's not popular on this board.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Lots of Asian people sleep on thin mats

http://www.chopa.com/shopsite/traditional_tatami_mats.html

Mayans sleep typically in hammocks

Samoans sleep on the ground

Facinating

http://m.mic.com/articles/75173/21-...world-paints-a-powerful-picture-of-inequality

And this... Worth the look

http://jamesmollison.com/books/where-children-sleep/

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[LinasK]

As for the previous poster who said their approach wasn't "child-centered", well again, that's up to interpretation. I see a mom who spends every waking minute with her kids, who buys them fresh vegetables and organic foods, who furnishes her house with child friendly furniture, has toys and art supplies and pictures of her girls actively participating in creating the family's home...looks child centered enough to me.

Again, jmo. I get that it's not popular on this board.

We have a niece that does that, then ignores her kids. Just because they eat organic doesn't mean that the mother is actively parenting her kids and involved in their lives. In fact, I'll go so far as to say in our niece's case I don't think their Vegan diet is healthier because their teeth are all falling out, beyond baby ones from the lack of calcium. Broccoli isn't sufficient.

 

[MyBelle]

Sure, I'm just saying the nit-picky things that people are even going so far as to say are "abuse" just astounds me. But again--jmo, I can agree to disagree about it.

Pack n plays are extremely uncomfortable looking...I had a friend bring one over when I babysat and it was a nice one--but a thin vinyl pad on top of cardboard on top of metal bars looked unpleasant. A closet with a big old cushy foam and a gate to protect the baby, not to mention getting to snuggle with her sister, looks a lot more soft, warm and comfy. Honestly now that I think about it, it's sort of a defacto crib. *shrug*

I like you guys so I can agree to disagree, but I felt compelled to throw in my perspective into the mix.

As for the previous poster who said their approach wasn't "child-centered", well again, that's up to interpretation. I see a mom who spends every waking minute with her kids, who buys them fresh vegetables and organic foods, who furnishes her house with child friendly furniture, has toys and art supplies and pictures of her girls actively participating in creating the family's home...looks child centered enough to me.

Again, jmo. I get that it's not popular on this board.

Some of us are more focused on safety issues rather than decor and art supplies. You are aware that these girls slept together in the pack 'n play shortly after the infant was hospitalized? Her sister's bare feet near her head? The air quality in the closet isn't healthy because it isn't circulating air. Two children should not be in such a confined space, imo.

 

[LinasK]

Some of us are more focused on safety issues rather than decor and art supplies. You are aware that these girls slept together in the pack 'n play shortly after the infant was hospitalized? Her sister's bare feet near her head? The air quality in the closet isn't healthy because it isn't circulating air. Two children should not be in such a confined space, imo.

And then there was the washing of the poopy diapers in the food sink on the boat. That is a major safety issue!

 

[momrids6]

Abuse is not always "in your face" and is not always physical. Look at the rampant mental illness in this country; emotional abuse/neglect of some parents contribute
imo.

 

[MyBelle]

Abuse is not always "in your face" and is not always physical. Look at the rampant mental illness in this country; emotional abuse/neglect of some parents contribute
imo.

I agree. But in this case it has been obvious. Washing dirty diapers in the sink used to prepare food and now placing both kids in a closet. When our twin granddaughters were born in March of last year, the pediatrician made it clear that they should never share a crib because of the danger of suffocation and not to use bumper pads unless they were the breathable kind.

No infant should be sharing a small confined space with an older child. Not sure why some don't see the obvious danger in it.

JMO

 

[Linda7NJ]

I agree. But in this case it has been obvious. Washing dirty diapers in the sink used to prepare food and now placing both kids in a closet. When our twin granddaughters were born in March of last year, the pediatrician made it clear that they should never share a crib because of the danger of suffocation and not to use bumper pads unless they were the breathable kind.



No infant should be sharing a small confined space with an older child. Not sure why some don't see the obvious danger in it.



JMO

Co-sleeping is the norm in many cultures, as is sleeping on the ground.
I view it in perspective. Human beings are pretty darn sturdy.
When you look at the way others live & sleep all around the world and even in this country. Those little girls are pretty darn lucky. They're lucky just to have a clean space and fresh running water and food.

Again, I'm simply thrilled they're on land.


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[kaRN]

I'm angry about these parents, especially Charlotte. How selfish and self-centered. She blogs against parents who won't vaccinate, but look what she did!! They totally endangered those children. And now that our government has rescued them (risking personnel in the process), the parents defend their actions!! They haven't even learned from this!

Guess what? When you're a parent, you ensure the safety and health of your kids. It's a priority. That includes providing food, shelter, healthcare, education and safety. These bozos put everything into their pipe dream, and now due to their selfishness and negligence, they have nothing! No home for their family...and now they need donations....

I'm appalled by the number of supporters who are commenting on her blog. Really? You support endangering helpless children?

That little girl could have died. The rescuers could have died. The entire family could have died. But they "defend themselves" and their stupid, half-baked decision to sail out into the middle of nowhere with tiny children. <modsnip>

A phrase from Driving Miss a Daisy comes to mind: "Sometimes I think you ain’t got the sense God gave a lemon”.

ITA!! It's not like either of these babies will ever even remember their voyage. Taking children who can learn from the experience or complain they want to go home is one thing. These people are lucky their infant survived until help got there.

 

[MyBelle]

Co-sleeping is the norm in many cultures, as is sleeping on the ground.
I view it in perspective. Human beings are pretty darn sturdy.
When you look at the way others live & sleep all around the world and even in this country. Those little girls are pretty darn lucky. They're lucky just to have a clean space and fresh running water and food.

Again, I'm simply thrilled they're on land.


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What culture enjoys placing infants in a confined space with no air circulation on 3.5 sides? I don't take issue with the cushion on the floor, I take issue with the fact they are together in a small closet.

 

[redheadedgal]

things important to charlotte:

--space to sew and a $700 sewing machine
--platinum blonde hair

--proper bed for her kids? food in the fridge? not so much

http://rebelheart.squarespace.com/charlottes-blog/2014/6/18/ready-set-sew.html

http://www.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Ultrafeed-LSZ-1-BASIC-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine

 

[wendiesan]

What culture enjoys placing infants in a confined space with no air circulation on 3.5 sides? I don't take issue with the cushion on the floor, I take issue with the fact they are together in a small closet.

Totally agree with you on this. Sleeping on a thin foamie on a floor with room to move and air to breathe is one thing. This situation was cruelly something else. IMO, these people didn't pen their children up because they wanted them to experience another culture.

 

[maedlamsmom]

When my husband, daughter, and I moved cross country, we lived for several months in an extended stay hotel. My daughter, then one, slept in a pack 'n play, in an open closet. It was a small room with a galley kitchen, no stove, just a fridge, sink, and microwave. Apparently, according to some of these comments, we were abusive to do so. This is news to me. We had moved from a large house, where my daughter had her own room, because we believed, as a family, that doing so would make our lives better in the long run. We knew it would be difficult, and it was, but we had shelter, we had food, and we had each other.

I know that some disagree with the choices this family made in regards to the sailing trip. And, certainly the honesty with which Charlotte described her day-to-day life aboard the vessel allows for scrutiny. But, really, every parent makes choices that could be deemed questionable to others because every family is different. I am no sailing expert. I don't know, that if I was, I would choose to take my child on a months-long trip. I don't know because I am not a sailing expert so I have no idea how I would feel if I was. I would be a different person, with different experiences. I do know that from her description of the difficulties of parenting aboard a sailing vessel, it sounds like they were (because they had to be) very attentive parents who's entire world revolved around their children. If every single second of your child's waking life had to be closely monitored by you, or they could come to serious harm...what a commitment to take on. I know my child is often in the other room, quietly playing while I unload the dishwasher, or start dinner. There are moments, within the safety of my home, when I feel comfortable chatting with a friend on the phone or grabbing a snack for myself, knowing my child will be safe. They didn't have that option, and they chose that willingly.

I listened to the This American Life segment and read every blog entry before I posted. I'm sorry, but I completely disagree with most of the comments so far. They made different choices than you or me, but they are different people. I refuse to stand in judgment of people who appear to be kind and loving parents, especially on a website filled with the truly terrible things people do to children.