Babies (In my house and on tv)

 I know I am about two years behind in entertainment news, mostly because of my absorption in babies and their developments. So one might expect that when I do take the time to watch a movie - it would be about anything other than diapers, breastfeeding or babies. Nope. I just watched the documentary Babies ... and I LOVED it.

 It isn't a big stretch to understand why I would enjoy two hours of baby clips; my life is one big series of baby events and milestones. However, this movie was very well edited and the concept so simple, yet profound.

  I have found that having children can be isolating. We are so focused on caring for the immediate needs of our small people, that we lose a connection with the outside world. We also compare our "progress" with the standards of our environment - and in the United States, the baby industry is so complex and complicated. It's refreshing to watch a movie about babies growing up in Africa and the isolated tundra of Mongolia. The mothers there are not conflicted about keeping up with their careers or understanding their role in motherhood. Whether they like it or not, it is all-consuming. Breastfeeding is the option, for years on end. Their babies learn how to crawl and navigate in nature - on the muddy earth or with the family goat as support. It isn't completely sanitized and controlled by a Fisher Price marketing campaign.

 While I'm not going to abandon antibacterial soap, the pediatrician or plastic toys - I can appreciate that all of the aforementioned are luxuries. Babies can thrive ( in healthy situations) and learn, and some would argue that they do it better without all of the American "necessities". The baby in Mongolia spent a lot of time with his older toddler brother, with only a string tied to a bed to keep him from wandering off. It isn't "safe" by our standards... but a majority of the world raises their babies in those types of environments.

 The movie was beautifully edited and made me, as a chronic multi-tasker, sit down and watch. It is simply fantastic to watch a baby discover smiling, or his own hands or the victory of standing up on her own. Whether you have the baby bug or not, there is something to be learned about human nature in the universal experience of new life. (And my heart nearly exploded with every scene of the Mongolian baby.... those Asians get me every time!)