Every time a breastfeeding mom is kicked out of a public establishment, the same thing goes through my head: really, America? You can't just get over yourselves long enough for a baby to get a full tummy? But this time, it's different. The news that a breastfeeding mom was sent to the fitting room at the American Girl store in tears because she wanted to feed her baby has me truly flabbergasted.
If the tweet from @XepticalAtheist, who says his wife was "kicked out of the seating area for breastfeeding" at the New York City flagship store, is true, this may be the most depressing story of them all. The American Girl store is, after all, a place whose primary purpose is to entertain families. And not just any kind of family. Families of little girls. Little girls who will hopefully grow up one day to become breastfeeders themselves. According to the store's motto:
American Girl stores celebrate girls’ interests with engaging products and experiences designed just for them ... American Girl stores have been praised as leading models for experiential retail and provide a special place for girls to make lasting memories with their families and friends.
If a mom can't feel comfortable and safe at a place like that, I have to ask: where CAN she just be a mom? We have a hard enough time trying to convince Americans out on the streets, riding buses, at restaurants, etc. that breastfeeding isn't just a right, it's a necessity. The places we go specifically as moms, not just as citizens, should be ahead of the ballgame.
Not just because they should have a heightened awareness of the breastfeeding laws, considering their audience, but because they should WANT to spread that message themselves. A mom who walks into an American Girl store is there because she's going to blow a whole bunch of money on a doll that represents something special to her daughter. She's looking for an experience that matches. But if a store doesn't value "big girls," what is it really saying to little girls?
Do you expect stores that are catering to families to be ahead of the game regarding nursing in public?
Image via Danquella manera/Flickr