History of Christmas Candy Canes

For the first time this year I heard of the so called meaning of the candy canes associated by Christmas.

Our family went to a Christmas carols hosted by the combined churches in the area. (and although I am not a Christian, there is a certain wholesome and wondrous feeling when you are with hundreds of other people waving candles and lights around singing childhood songs. I am also not about to impress my beliefs into my kids and will allow them exposure to a variety of religious experiences and allow them to make their own minds up )

Santa appeared and handed out candy canes to all the children as the pastor narrated what they symbolized for all Christians. A student of history with a keen cynical streak, I could not help but wryly listen to the dogma being spewed out. I am very impressed - despite of myself, with the catholic church and the way they can twist and wind any sort of symbolism into whatever is around them to suit their own purposes. Symbolism is the most ancient and powerful forms of indoctrination and even the most unaware persons mind is open to accepting and integrating it into their lives.

Apparently, according to the pastor ( and other Christians I asked afterwards) they were designed as ‘J’s for Jesus, the three red stripes symbolizes the holy trinity. The red also symbolizes the sacrifice Jesus is about to make and the white for his purity. The hardness of the candy cane symbolizes the rock solidness of the church. I did hear something about the peppermint flavour of the candycanes too – but can’t recall it – I might do some internet search and see if its out there.

I can’t help but think the Catholics went a little overboard here – mixing up Easter messages and Christmas – intertwining the birth and death in one tiny sweet.

After a very quick search on the internet I found that candy canes originated in 1600s as a long lasting sweet to quieten the younger members of the choir as they sat waiting for their next hymn. The sweet was a white stick of harden rock. Until past the 1900s they remained in this form – many Christmas cards depicting them this way. The next few paragraphs are directly from several websites – they all say the same thing -

The traditional candy can was born over 350 years ago, when mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. ( WHAT?????!!!) Around 1670, the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral in Colonge, Germany, bent the sticks into canes to represent a shepards staff. He then used these white candy canes to keep the attention of small childern durring the long Nativity service.

The use of candy canes during the Christmas service spread through out Europe. In northern Europe, sugar canes decorated with sugar roses were used to brighten the home at Christmas time.

In the mid 1800's, the candy cane arrived in the U.S. when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster,Ohio , decorated his spruce tree with paper ornaments and white sugar canes. The red stripe was added to the candy cane at the turn of the century, when peppermint and wintergreen were added and became the traditional flavors for the candy cane.

So all very interesting huh?

I found a reference to say that when mechanics popularized the sweet making industry, an inventor made a way to make the hook – symbolizing the Shepherd’s crook. It was by pure mistake that red became part of the cane as it was a left over colour from another item he had been making.

So just goes to show – you can take a nice little tradition and make it mean anything you like…. Bit like the original Christmas and Easter huh?

Expectations of kids

I took four small children to a Christmas concert yesterday, hosted by the State Orchestra. We have been going for years – ever since the eldest was a baby. Each year I see proud mums drag their little darlings along bedecked in tinsel in hair and handmade Christmas outfits. I watch just about every other child stand and dance in rhythm to the music,clap and sing along to well known tunes and generally interact with the show.

I watched my four charges carefully yesterday. The 13 month old was the only one totally engaged – wriggling and clapping to the music. The other three sat in a row – staring directly forward with little expression on their faces. I stopped myself begging them to enjoy them selves, or asking them to stand up and join in.

The program was designed for small people – full of interesting information about the Orchestral instruments in a story format, interlaced with well known Christmas tunes and interaction with the crowd by a well known children’s presenter.

I desperately wanted my kids to look like they were enjoying themselves or taking in the rich music presented. As I looked about the room full of twirling Christmas fairies, a cold knife stabbed deeply into the mother guilt heart. Perhaps if I had played classical music to the more as babies or whilst in the womb they would be enjoying the excerpts from the nutcracker. Perhaps if I had enrolled them in toddler dance classes they would feel more confident to stand and twirl with the rest of them. Perhaps if I made the time to sew frocks bedecking them with ribbon and appliqué, then I too would look like a mother who cared about the development of her children. Instead as I looked down at my food encrusted shirt I was certain was clean when I got in the car to come, I look like a skanky harassed hag. At least I wasn’t nagging them to stand up – but if telepathy existed their brains would have been fried with my inner shouts and pleas.

I then thought of the autistic kids I used to teach and sent a blessing to those parents – thinking about what they must go through – the unconditional love they must hold for their kids. Feedback is such an important aspect of a relationship - and I was gaining little to no feedback from the three stooges as they stared into space within the concert hall.

The concert ended and I had ensured that I had sung Christmas Carols loudly and had clapped and cheered at he end even if the plebs I took did not. AS I buckled the kids into the car, I hesitatingly asked if they had enjoyed the morning; whilst calculating what other things I might have done instead of wasting money on these tickets.

Oh Mummy I liked the songs

No – the drums were best

I liked the horn player

That man was silly with his reindeer horned hat wasn’t he?

SO – You did like the concert then?

Oh yes – the resounding replies were. Can we go next year?

I reflected as we drove off on whose enjoyment I was expecting. My kids are very introspective in any case – but I might have expected at least one of them Miss Show Off to have joined in the fairly ring which had spontaneously erupted in front of us during one of the tinkling songs.

You just never know do you? Who am I to place what I believe is enjoyment onto their beliefs? I was just trying to placate the mother guilt beast and to show off myself – to all the other show off mums; all of us desperately trying to convince the other that we are good parents.

Eating Live Fish

It was enough to turn this meat a saurus into a vegan immediately. Now I am not squeamish and I feel that I am a responsible meat eater – that is to say – I grew up on a farm and know how to slaughter an animal and prepare it for eating.

I saw a cooking show on TV tonight that made my stomach turn and I still feel sick about it. Unsurprisingly You Tube is full of home videos of (mostly) American tourists in China filming this dish. To explain – take one very live fish and serve it to diners in under two mins. The fish must still be alive and wriggling, its mouth opening and gills fanning whilst it is at the table and being torn apart.

The fish is held and scaled, then cut in several places. It is then quickly deep fried in a vat of oil – the head held out of the oil. The fish is then placed on a plate – flapping in agony and covered with a sauce and taken to the diners – who then strip its skin off and eat the flesh – a prize is the still thumping heart. Are you sick yet? Here is one of the ‘better’ videos on you tube – but search there yourself.

I know fish don’t have much of a brain – but nothing deserves this treatment. Its horrific in the most evil ways. Am I being prissy about this?

Hoax Missing kids emails - put a stop to them

They seem to come round like a rash – you know the type the "please help us find our missing child."

They tug at your heart strings – so you – being busy – forward it on to everyone in your mail box, thinking you have done a good dead. Sadly, all you have done is forward on a hoax and blocked up the internet for a nanosecond.

The imbeciles who first launched these hoaxes have got to be completely unthinking and uncaring – thinking that this is some sort of entertainment. It sickens me that some person could be so mean spirited as to write and launch a hoax about a fictional missing child in a world where so many real children have disappeared. You only have to look at a milk bottle or on the corner at the flapping pages of yellowed paper to see the beautiful eyes of precious children who have for one reason or another gone missing for real.

The one that is going round at the moment is the Evan Trembly one - and he started it himself as a joke ( kinda got out of hand) there are plenty of hoax checking websites to see if the email you have gotten is a hoax or not - but check out this one to see the full story on hoax missing kid emails here

I cannot believe it has been 5 years now that Daniel Morcombe went missing – just before Christmas. He has become like a little brother to so many Australians – his smiling face plastered everywhere - the horror of what unknown fate befell him after an innocent bus ride to buy presents for his family.

For more info on Dan see here I truely hope for his families sake that some sort of answer is found soon. I cannot image how horrific it must be to stumble through your days hoping for a scap of information to come through.

Another sickening one is Madeline McCann see here

Seeing her little face brings a wave of despair across my body and I am sick to the pit of my stomach, tears still form in my eyes thinking about that family and what they have gone through – especially with the media – only out for a sensational story – be it true or not.

Hoaxes like these missing kids emails are not harmless. They weaken the power of email and the Internet as a tool for disseminating information about genuine missing person cases. It stops the trust in the goodness of a stranger – of reliable information.

If you receive these hoax types email, please do not forward it to others. If you are compelled to forward info on - just google it first - you can easily find out if its true or not with a few clicks of your keyboard.

The nanny state begins

Is it just me – or are we being herded down the path of communism and the nanny state?

In Australia, Broadband Minister Senator Stephan Conroy has announced plans to make censorship of the web compulsory by forcing internet service providers to install filters to prevent access to illegal material. The filtering will be compulsory and will ban things such as euthanasia, pro anorexia sites and sites which contains adult material. However at this stage, they are unable to filter exactly what is pornographic or undesirable ad the programs are unable to analyze sites or pictures context. Breast cancer advice would be flagged as pornographic material and disallowed.

I am sorry – did I lose the vote to my free choice and just didn’t remember it? I certainly support parents making choices for their family and installing programs to filter certain websites – but to blanket this decision for all Australians.. its just not Australian!

This sort of filtering is already in Government departments where if any words are contained in the website or emails it is barred. This is particularly problematic for those who work in the health industry. I have a friend in womens health and she is unable to access their own website on breast examination tips as it contains too much pink colouring on the page– thus banned.

Do people have such short memories? If you live in China , I believe it is still impossible to google Tiananmen Square and come up with anything other than a tourist guide and happy snaps of sunshine falling on the stoned area. Their government is protecting the populous against inflammatory information… hummm

Once again this is a bull in the chinashop/ knee jerk solution, - not fully thought through or tested. I read an article looking into the filters and almost two thirds of website traffic is peer to peer, where filters won’t monitor it at all. People can go complexly offshore where there are no filters and they are then able to bring encrypted data in. It won’t stop people accessing the “wrong” type of material ( and who gets to chose what this material is?). It seems to be the same as when they legislating guns – it hasn’t stopped illegal guns or people shooting others. It has just ensured that only the criminals have access to guns now.

Of particular disturbance is that the government own figures indicate that all the systems trials would impact on the internet performance as well as the availability of legitimate services.

ISPs will have no choice but choice to pass on the increased cost to customers, as well as having he access speeds being slower. The conservative estimate is a 3 percent slowing of access, but that would depend upon how much material is going to be filtered out. Obviously more material, will mean slower access.

So to get this straight – the government wants to introduce filtering which they cannot really control, that if you are IT savy you can circumnavigate, it will make the painfully slow speeds available in most parts of Australia much slower AND they will be charging us for it.. did I get that right?

Comments anyone?

If you agree with what I have just said please visit the following site No Censorship

Here is some aussies on youtube discussing the issue..

Here and Here

Oh and there is a facebook group which has a good forum and some up to date info on rallys etc.. please join! Here

On Death

Its crap that a dead person looks like they are sleeping. There simply is no spark, no essence, they truly are a husk – nothing left but the outside. Its horrible looking at the face of a loved one and knowing that they just aren’t there – its like looking at a bad portrait painted quickly and without adding the details.

An elderly aunt of mine died this week and today was the funeral. Our family is wide spread – but traveled from overseas to be there today. We are not the kissy huggy type and many of us do not write or ring or even send Christmas Cards. I went alone – not wanting to take my children – not to protect them – but out of respect. A funeral for me is not a circus nor somewhere that you get ‘seen’. If the kids had known Aunty, then it would have been appropriate to take them – but they had only met her a few times fleetingly. Her influence on me was when I was growing up and as a young adult.

As I wandered up the grassy slopes of the cemetery and toward the chapel, I saw relatives I hadn’t caught up with in over 20 years. We all looked older fatter and just a bit bedraggled. Sunglasses were the order of the day.

What a celebration of her life the Eulogy was. A tribute to the life and love of my aunt. Her story alone needs to be told in a book. She was 15 when the war broke out. 8th in a family of 10 – her sisters and younger brother took over running the dairy and pig farm while her brothers and father enlisted to go and fight overseas. Her son had such grace and love as he read out stories which made us laugh recalling family favourite tales of her youth and romance. How over the years of the war a young delivery trick driver who picked up the mile every day fell in love with the young farming girl.

I always wondered how our family who never touch except to say good bye ( and only some of us do that) it the kiss she started – she refused to let her brothers go to war without a kiss. She forced her children to kiss each other every time they parted – no matter how long it was. At the Graveside, words were spoken as the coffin lowered. As it slowly sunk down, everyone took out a white handkerchief and began to wave it. I have tears in my eyes thinking of the image right now. This was another thing she always did at every parting. She had a white linen handkerchief which she waved madly at every parting. I can see her in the distance waving that handkerchief and I am still crying. “ Until we see each other again”

Spontaneously the family erupted into “shes a jolly good fellow” along with the traditional howls and elongated ‘felloooooooowwww” that happens at family gatherings when this is sung. As it died out, the sobs started.

The universe works in strange ways and I wanted to share this experience with you as well. In the crowd I stood with a lonely lady who introduced herself to me asking if I were a relative. She said she was once a relative – but kept in contact with the family and was still very much part of it.

In the chapel I sat with a lady and her small family. We exchanged pleasantries. Within a few words of the speech , she was overcome with emotion and they left to stand at the back .

During the service the two women bothered me – I knew them somehow ( obviously they were relatives but who and where did they fit?) It was at the gravesite that I worked it out. When I was 12, cousins we had not met before came to visit. I have vivid memories of playing on swings and having a wonderful time with them – an older girl – the same age as I and twin girls. Months later we had news that a drunk driver had knocked the older girl from her bike killing her instantly and that one of the twins was severely injured. I was really affected by that news and still have stabbing pains as I think of it – and yet I only knew her for such a fleeting moment.

Rightly or wrongly, I sought out the two ladies and introduced myself again relating my story. It was a really lovely moment to share with them. My cousin, strangely enough was buried in the graveyard we were standing in.

I don’t know if there is closer with death. I saw my aunt being lowered down, earth being thrown on the top of her coffin. They use fine sand now – so that there isn’t the heavy thud noise. Its all too sad…. Can’t write any more.

When work and social life clash.

I’m not talking about when your social life is just too busy to include work – or when you are too busy checking facebook and answering personal emails at work that you have no time to do your own actual work ..

When does the rights of your personal life interfere with that of work? How much control aught your work and employer have over what you do and how you conduct yourself in your personal and private times?

Thinking of extremes, perhaps a religious (i.e priesthood), early childhood or educational worker ( teachers etc) aught not have a public second business in pole dancing or S& M services – however, once you have clocked off from work – what right does your employer have on what you do and where you go in your social life?

I understand that there is a n element of trust in certain roles and jobs. In the not too distant past teachers had a code of conduct to adhere to – not being seen in bars and hotels and the like. Women had to leave when they fell pregnant and or got married in many jobs.

I also have seen the fall out when people talk a little too lossly on their blogs – so it pays to be careful about what you write on your blog – There are all sorts of searches when you go for a new job – often the interviewer will check your facebook and blogspaces – If they don’t like what you write – or have an issue with they way you present your self –then it can affect the outcome of that interview. (rightly or wrongly) It would be naïve to think that employers don’t look at what you are up to and the photos within the public space.

Anyways- what is on MY goat is that my brother – a hard working normal bloke within the construction industry has just been booted from the company he has been with for 13 years. He is a foreman and has loved his job and traveled all over to be with the same group. Officially his separation certificate states that there was a downturn of work - however as coincidence would have it…… this is what happened.

I am not hiding the fact he likes to have a few parties at his rented house. He makes them big and loud and lots of people are invited. He is s wicked cocktail maker and likes to have costume parties and lots of fun. The local police know him… and Saturday night goes something like this…. 11 pm – they turn up – knock on the door and he will turn the music down – they wave and all is fine. Sometimes the neighbors will put a note in the letterbox with a returned beer bottle or piece of pizza that had been thrown over the fence accompanied with a ‘cleaning bill” of $50 - $100 –which he just pays to keep them happy.

Last Sat night was no different. However on Monday – he was hauled into the main office and put on speaker phone to the State Manager – who then ripped shreds off him about being irresponsible and putting the company in disrepute. Then on Friday he gets the separation slip and told not to come back on Monday – to hand in his mobile, keys and ute asap. Nice.

So – what place does the social life reflect on a companys image – when that party is in out of office or work hours? Has it got so crazy that you can’t socialise with workmates? Seems to me the State Manager has been tipped over the coals by someone else – and its all just a big political thing – who knows….

The inequity of parenting

How is it that two perfectly normal, sensitive and apparently spiritually progressive people can tumble into the stone ages when the role of parenting breeches the walls of their love?

I had thought I had escaped the Victorian codes of conduct I grew up with when I met and married my dearheart. He had lived on his own for many years and was independent ( big tick) Yes when we live together the chores are equally divided, yes you cook and I’ll clean and then the next night we will swap, yes – lets go shopping for food together, yes you can choose to keep your maiden name when we marry, yes you can choose a natural birth, yes you can choose to work or stay at home when you become a mother, yes we will breastfeed on demand, yes our sex life will stay the same during pregnancy and afterwards forever.... and then baby arrives. You stumble through the days, aware of day or night, bleary eyed and constantly weeping. And everything starts to change.

It happens gradually, but it happens. Dishes pile up, washing stays on the line for a week or in the basket moldering. The house hasn’t been vacuumed for weeks and you can’t remember when the sheets were changed last. You are a stay at home mum, looking after children and apparently having a wonderful time because you don’t work and lets not forget the big one – you no longer earn any money. All that freedom and liberation you thought you had earn when you worked slips from your fingers like sand and just as impossible to regain as attempting to catch quicksilver.

Great lists of things to do, jobs and errands to run being piling up and you wonder when you had the time to work before you had children. Plates don’t get lifted from the table and washing piles in corners. (I have always refused to iron so at least that’s not an issue) I swing between scrupulously cleaning and tidying till the house shins like a new pin and giving up because I am the only one who seemingly cares or does anything about it. It wouldn’t be so bad except I get constantly snipped about the state of the house if I am the “I don’t care mode.”

And yes – I have tried a number of strategies – starting way back when my first was only a very new baby and hubbys job was to bathe him. I let it go for three days – baby had not been washed – despite me putting out all the gear and readying everything. Its still an issue – when I go out to my classes I need to ensure the kids have been bathed and dinner is in front of them – otherwise I come home and they are still racing round at 9 pm on a school night as dirty as pigs and eating biscuits. I keep thinking that its just me – and my high standards; so I do it all..

I doubt that its my own dearheart that is the only male guilty of this slippage back into the 1950s set of gender roles.

I read in forums and on the internet how parents share the roles, but in my circle of friends in my own experience, this is not happening. I wonder if these people are telling the truth for fear of being abnormal – or if I really am the only one? Breastfeeding was not a joy at 3 am in the middle of winter – creeping about not trying to wake hubby because he had to work the next day. I fear I have set the feminist movement back 50 years and am at a loss of how it happened or how to make it stop. I am sure many men underestimate the importance of and necessity for a strongly-involved male parenting role and the self-satisfaction one derives from it. Don’t get me wrong – I love being a mum – and really wouldn’t swap it for quids.

With some digging, I found that this was not always the case. Until the early 1800s, most child-rearing manuals were directed at men, who had the majority of the say about child-rearing. With the advance of industrialization, the father was more and more removed from the home. This resulted in females making more of the house and child rearing decisions. Ultimately this meant that men lost an integral part of the whole human experience with the shift in these decision making processes.

Many movies and television programs are now often showing the joys and pleasures of male parenting, and schools are now providing much-needed parenting training. I wonder however if this is enough – as there are just as many anti male role models ( The Simpsons, Californication, Marriage with Kids to name a few) although men are now becoming more emotionally available to their children than their fathers were, we have a long way to go.

Blog Action Day - End Poverty

Writing for Blog Action Day

A few hours ago, the Blog Action Day 08 campaign officially began. This year the theme is "Poverty", and I encourage fellow bloggers around the world to once again explore this issue on your blogs on October 15th. How about you join too?

View and hear a jazzy video here or here at (via Change.org). You can copy the link to it at Vimeo and Brightcover.TV and email it to friends and get the code to embed it on your own website pages and blogs.

Please join in and if you get a little Writer's Block about what to put in your post on Blog Action Day, the site even offers a page of resources to spur your creativity.

To join Neshamah's Blog Action Day*Chain: Post to your blog about joining & include the link to this post so I can find yours.

Your blog link will be added to the Blog Action Day*Chain below....

These Blogs are part of Blog Action Day 08

Please visit them and continue the chain.

Dads Dealing with Daughters

In light of the fact that Fathers Day has just happened in Australia, I’d like to comment about the role that Dads have in the lives of their daughters.

Its been a bit of pet project for me in the last few years – dreaming about writing a book – a survival guide for fathers – Dads Dealing with Daughters – but I just haven’t gotten round to it – too afraid of failure I guess. Still on my journey too.

How a father deals with his daughter early in life is going to be a strong indicator of her latter success and how she relates to men during her development.

Ideally daughters rely on their fathers to provide protection, encouragement and a pool to draw self confidence. They need to rely on their fathers to use their power to protect and not harm them. If fathers misuse their strength – either intentionally or intentionally, through trying to dominate, control or intimidate their daughters, these women could go through life fearful and wary of men and their intentions.

Girls long for affection from their fathers or the dominant male figure in the family structure. From their fathers they learn how to be loved– what to expect from love and how to act around men. This is all researched to bits – there is a book by Dr Robinson on Daughters and their Dads which give studies about this. One of them was they there is direct correlation on girls having good relationships with their fathers at the age of 13, and the wellbeing mentally and physically when they are 33. The more a father spends with their daughters in the early years, the more empowered and confident they will be later on.

It seems that it doesn’t matter what socio economic a background a father comes from, similar needs and ‘ inefficiencies’ come about. Fathers have responsibilities as an employee –to their workplace, but equally they have responsibilities to their families – money can’t buy time. This money fixes attitude and approach to parenting ( very prevalent in our new generation) establishes a role model that means such shallow and selfish value systems are passed onto the next generation – often without any thought. No amount of money will replace the quality time and attention a child needs from parents. Children need your presence more than your presents

Good fathering helps girls feel confident, empowered and attractive. Girls will watch how her father reacts and treats her mother and then take this on as her expectation of how she will be treated and what to expect from a life partner.

This is pretty heavy stuff – very significant – especially in our society of either single parent or emotionally absent fathers.

Parenting – especially to men – can seem very alien. As a mother you just don’t get the choice to say – well there isn’t an instruction manual here – I don’t know what to do – you just do it – you just get on with the task at hand and do what you believe is the best. Many men think that early parenting is women’s business – and to an extent - breastfeeding, changing nappies, bathing babies – it can seem like that – but there is always something that can be done in its stead – to support and nurture the mother and to be involved. Fathers need to be involved from the start. Its not too late – as I have learned – even in your 30s to reconnect and get involved. One of you needs to take that first step - no time like the present – you certainly can’t cry over spilt milk.

Detachment is a important for any child’s growing identity, but in particular to girls when they become teenagers. It is here more than any time that they need to feel that they have support when they need it - not to be judged, that they are valued and trusted and be comfortable who they are.

Having positive male figures within a family is important for both boys and girls – but it is with the girls that this importance seems to be glossed over and misunderstood. Men especially need to recognize that every year of your children’s lives are precious and to spend such time with the from when they are babies. I see it in my kids now – and I am a stay at home mother – I wonder what happened to my babies…

Standards set for Babies

The world has officially gone mad. In the newspaper today was an article with regards to educational standards set from birth – what the hell is going on?

“Babies will be assessed on their gurgling, babbling and toe-playing abilities when they are a few months old under a legally enforced national curriculum for children from birth to five published by the government yesterday.”

For more info check here – The UK Guardian

There is nothing to say that this will not flow on into Australia – or other parts of the world. Education particularly is becoming so entrenched in procedures and marking – its not about the joy of learning or sharing of information any longer. This sort of report makes me remember why I left teaching. We spent more time on individual learning programs and meeting expectations than we did in exploring what the kids were actually interested in. SATs ( a UK standard test done in primary and secondary schools) were a major contributor to stress levels for kids as young as 7 yrs. They understood from that age that if they didn’t measure up – then their scope for school which would accept them into secondary school was limited – and thus if they wanted to do anything further – even less options. That’s a huge amount of stress for a 7 year old – to be thinking about their future education at that age.

In the UK they have set standards now – click here – for the progression and development of children.

I find it astounding that the government thought it necessary to legislate what babies aught to be learning at day care. Apart from the whole debate on who aught to be in daycare and for how long etc – I personally want to know my child had FUN – they painted, they played with playhoh, read books and played with toys. I am absolutely of the opinion that learning happens everywhere and key concepts can be integrated within any activity ( and I do this with my kids) Its natural education – not enforced or pushed.

Julian Greneier comments on her blog about the early years legislation here. here

This framework in the UK was launched in March 2007 and will be enforced this month ( Sept 2008) It covers what carers need to undertake for the development of children until they are accepted into reception (prep – or the year they turn five)

I just have horrific thoughts of regimented learning – children of 2 sat behind desks and told they can’t go and play with the sand pit until they play with the playdoh and create 5 beads in front of them ( or some other ridiculous rigid measuring format)

In Aust Margaret Morrissy ( key speaker for the Parents and Citizens Association) viewed her concerns
here

An well known quote often attributed to the Jesuits is “Give me a child for the first seven years, and you may do what you like with him afterwards.” Intimating that by then all beliefs and habits have been deeply entrenched. I am unsure that’s what the Jesuits actually meant and I know this has been twisted out of context many times… but makes you think…

Something else to think about here too. In most Science fiction worlds where civilizations has been torn apart from within and humans have little free thought or beliefs apart from what the government or state will allow them ….. starts with the indoctrination of children and begins in nurseries, child care.. way before they hit school.. makes me a bit nervous….

Cartwheeling into School yard Dangers

Yesterdays news broke with an astounding discovery that a North Queensland School has banned children doing cartwheels.

For reports on this go to :

ABC Report

Brisbane Times Report


At first I thought it may be a knee jerk reaction to a playground tragedy that may have occurred –but none such existed.

Sadly it shows that our commonsense has been saturated with fear. Many bloggers in Australia have commented on this incident and I can only add to the disgust and hopelessness of the whole situation.

Will banning this stop kids doing stupid things? I doubt it. As a school kid, we weren’t supposed to climb trees or walk on the fence or tease the bull over the road – but did we? You bet!

By banning a quintessential activity such as doing cartwheels, it sends the message that children don’t know their own boundaries, they are never allowed to explore them and gather no experience when pushed to test new grounds. We are wrapping them up in cottonwool, never allowing them to grow up, to get hurt, to get over it, to suck it up and get on with life....I never did cartwheels at school or anywhere else – not that we weren’t allowed to – I was just unco-ordinated and pretty non sporty – but I tried, fell on my face a few times and worked out my boundaries were pretty low on the athletics side of the game.
If a child gets no sense of their boundries, they don’t learn about challenges, they never learn to fall and get up again, never get a sense of what their body is capable of.

Many commentators have be cried this decision as Queensland especially faces huge childhood obesity rates and this seems to fly in the face of the move it groove it state where children are meant to undertake physical activities.

The school, education department and State Government have been quick to back up their ban citing child safety as the main issue and that litigation was not a concern at all. There is a report about "Mellennium Kids" being disruptive, inattentive and undermotivated. On the one hand we are told that children need to get away from the computer games and television, get outdoors, exercise and actually engage with another human being. But on the other hand we are being told that exercise is being restricted or eliminated because of litigation and insurance fears

What sort of injury risk is really there? Thousands of children across Australia cartwheeling their way through the schoolyard every day with very few reported injuries.

A study on childhood school based injuries can be found

Here

The department is citing the cartwheel as an unstructured and unsupervised gymnastic activity. Perhaps this is so – but are they suggesting that there will be no free time for children to explore their capabilities? Some have suggested that activities be put in place at the break times. As a past teacher I shudder – for the children and for the teachers. They both need time away from each other to gather wits and to breathe….It’s a sad day when child's play becomes "unsupervised gymnastic activities".

Olympic Integrity

As with just about everyone on the planet who has a television, we have been watching the Olympics. Its been limited to being taped and watching only events we are interested in like the swimming, gymnastics, running and equestrian events.

Seriously though – what is softball doing in the Olympics? Or for that matter Football? And who has ever heard of handball?

I have always questioned the role of the journalist hovering at the sidelines of match games or events, pouncing on the breathless athlete as they have completed a grueling game or competition and asking inane questions. Who can think straight after your body has just gone through hell, you are exhausted and all you want to do is to fall in a heap in the shower?

A few days ago an Australian runner, Tamsyn Lewis was stalked as she completed her 800 metre run. She had been doing well in her heats and then it was obvious her spirit just gave out as her legs were too exhausted to keep up the pace. My heart went out to her as she powered on – coming in last. A note here –I beleive that there was 4 seconds between the winner and her time. Not taking away from the other competitiors - I mean you have to be a top athlete to even get on the team anywhere - but man that girl has worked hard for years.... Her heart is the only thing that kept her upright and powering on. what an inspiration to all...You can find more out about her on her website - http://tamsynlewis.com

The idiotic journalist – I think he is a pretty well known commentator for one of the major television corporations - Channel 7 – leapt over to her and sent a barrage of questions at her. She was sobbing with frustration, anger and disappointment. The world could see her tears streaming down her face as she attempted to give meaningful answers and appear positive. I wished I had a big cyber stick as he would have been beaten to death with it for being such an obnoxious, unsympathetic pratt. He kept asking what her words to Australia would be – since they had pinned their hopes on her. The poor girl sobbed asking for them to forgive her and that she honestly had given 100%. What on earth is Australia going to do to her when she comes back – electrocute her?

I was so angry at the reporter afterwards, but then thought perhaps he was like that with everyone – unfeeling and completely devoid of feelings. Later that day, I caught an interview by him with a male competitor who had done similarly by coming last in a final heat. The temperature in our house rose many degrees as the reporter soothed the ruffled ego of the male competitor and basically said – don’t worry about it Australia will understand how competitive it is out here. What an appaling lack of respect, integrity and outright sexual discrimination!

Correct me if I am wrong – but you don’t get to the Olympics by being a slug? You are the best in your country. You have trained for years, your parents have given up early morning sleep to take you to the pool or to the track, driven you for miles to go to competitions and probably sewn uniforms or done countless fundraisers to send you to far away places in pursuit of excellence. No-one goes to the Olympics thinking they might go out there and only do 50% of their best. A high percentage give nearly 150% of their PB, nearly killing themselves to achieve the very best for themselves, their sport and their country. I am still dumbfounded by the audacity of the reporter to ask those inane questions and to put a top athlete like Tamsyn on such a downer. I haven’t seen his reports lately and shudder to think of any other unfortunate ‘failures’ who come under his scrutiny.

I understand that the public are desperate for personal stories and to hear first hand on how personalities feel about a certain subject or event; however there needs to be some stricter guidelines in media integrity… and don’t get me started on the whole Princess Diana incident (and phenomena) Where is the line of human integrity blurred and entertainment come into it? Another topic for later on….

What is Normal?

I came across Joy through a variety of links on blogs. Her message is fresh, insightful, honest and positive. I loved her leaving message on living now, the way your wished you did 10 years from now. As she suggested, I looked back at photos of me at uni and at high school, when I thought I was dreadfully fat, ugly and unattractive. I see a blossoming beauty whose body I wish I had now. I wish I had been brave enough to get naked photos done of me then. I wish I had worn skimpier clothing, shown my legs off and gotten out of those baggy t-shirts. And yet I hesitate to go now and get saucy photos taken. I am lucky to have a handful of photos taken of me a year. I rush past mirrors and only look into them to look for grey hairs or to focus on putting make up on. Will I really look back on those few photos I have now and wish I had allowed more film to be shot of me?

Another point I have come across in a number of blogs which link to Joys is the notion of our society ‘normalising obesity’. Well, to go the other extreme, are we normalising anorexia? Are we just ignoring everyones pleas for recognition and becoming selfish altogether?

The reality is, yes there’s more and more fat people in our society. One must stop for a moment and wonder why this has come about. Certainly the access to low cost low nutrition, high calorific foods as a major contributor. Our bodies have a need for a certain amount of nutrition, minerals and vitamins in order to keep it ticking on. One reason behind overeating is not that you are hungry, but your body is starving for proper nutrition, so it keeps stuffing whatever it can into it searching for the missing elements.

My perception, especially speaking for myself, is that people don’t wake up one day and think – you know what? I am going to get as fat as I can in the next few years – you know, just for kicks. Our society rewards effortless perfectionism. The fantasy of being unaware or unable to do a certain thing or skill one day and then suddenly, being perfect at it the next. It is compounded within our education system with reading and writing, with many learners paralyzed as they cannot read or write in their first week or schooling and then deciding that they cannot do it for the next few years. It is the inability of society to allow others to make mistakes in order to learn, to only reward the winner and not to celebrate personal bests or those who ‘also ran’.

It is the perfectionism that especially women are striving for. I don’t know too many women who believe that they are too thin – and I know some very slender lasses. There are very few overweight people who are celebrating their fatness and totally at peace with what they look like. The Alter of the Anorexic is thick with offerings and prayers. One only has to pick up a copy of a stars or glam magazine to see the painfully thin adored visages of young actresses and singers, better suited to advertising the plight of an African famine campaign. It has become the expected norm for new mothers to bounce back into an incredible shape after birthing. This is where normalizing anorexia has become entrenched in our society.

Overweight people get that way because they’re striving for a beauty ideal that is virtually impossible and inaccessible. The media promotes anorexic twelve and thirteen year olds as the icons of beauty to women who are pushing thirty. These girls are idolized as they are freaks of nature, statuesque, willowy and whippet thin and over all, young. The more the media ensures that this beauty ideal is totally inaccessible, the more people are going to diet or go to drastic measures to attempt to regain, reclaim or achieve this ideal. The beauty industry is a mulit billions dollar venture and extremely unlikely to back peddle or to promote thins that would contravene these ideals. I have heard it said that ninety eight percent of people who diet, gain the weight back and more within several months of losing it. The vicious cycle begins once again. Joy also says in one of her videos that overweight and fat people are the only group who is discriminated against who truly believe that it is justified. We believe that we are due all of the hate, the discrimination, the taunts and the looks.

You know what? I might have to go and get some photos of me right now right here…. Just as Joy suggests. Wanna join me?

Social Integrity

This is a phrase that I have bandied about for a while, the idea solidifying as I experience more and more of the lack of it.

Social integrity is to keep ones word within a social context. If you say you will attend a party or a gathering, you put it into your diary and ensure that you go. You don’t allow another engagement to supersede it, or change your mind that day to whether you will be attending or not. Obviously there are a few exceptions – family being one for me particularly. There is a disturbing trend with people either not committing or their answers saying they will see what happens. What? Are they thinking that something better will come along? Am I of such low value in the friendship stakes that if they are faced at staying at home and watching the telly that they will have a think about it a few moments before they are meant to arrive to whether they will stay plonked staring at the idiot box or come and visit me?

I absolutely hate hosting party plan parties. I always feel like such a loser who has no friends. The poor consultant stands twiddling her thumbs looking at the empty chairs placed around the room and at the huge spread of food I invariably spend the day baking from scratch… and me kicking my heels into the benchs, going red because I had lots of people say they were going to come , and none show – or ring to say they were busy a few moments before the party was to start.

I am also disheartened with hosting dinner parties. I adore cooking a wonderful meal, choosing special wines, decorating the table and ensuring I have interesting guests who many not know each other – but to introduce them and forge friendships through the party. I wouldn’t say that I am an especially good cook. However, I pride myself in making everything from scratch. I am a creative cook and love to experiment with tastes and textures – much to the amusement of my family. ( I don’t experiment with dinner party food – they are tried and true recipes….) After the meal and we have fare welled our guests, I will usually ensure I tidy the kitchen and clear most of the dishes etc away before going to bed….I hardly will ever hear from the guests again in relation to the night. Where has manners gone? A note .. an sms, an email – simply saying – great meal last night –thanks. And I cannot think of a time we have been invited back for a meal at someones home. I used to think it was because I have two small children, but remembering back to before then, it was still the same deal. Besides, I have taken a great deal of trouble to ensure my kids have great table manners and I have no problems taking them to flash restaurants. I refuse to have children as an excuse for not having a life – so they come with us everywhere.

The event that has tipped me over the edge happened to me a few weekends ago. I had not seen a particular girlfriend or her kids for months, so arranged to have her come to my place for lunch on a Saturday. Her little boy had soccer practice and mine had music lessons in the morning, so it suited us both to meet for a shared lunch, catch up on gossip and allow the kids to play together. She has been a very dear friend and I had been looking forward to spending time with her since we made our arrangement. That morning, I fussed around the house, put flowers everywhere and made special efforts to ensure things were looking fresh and tidy. I had prepared a gorgeous light lunch with a very special dessert and laid the table. By 12.30, my kids were whiny and hungry, desperate to play with their friends and to eat lunch. I called her just to see if perhaps she had been caught up with a long practice session or in traffic. I was so astounded at her answer, I was speechless ( not a state I usually dwell in). She said “ Oh Hi. I was meaning to give you a call. We aren’t coming. Luke has a bit of a cold so didn’t think you’d want to catch it”. For one thing, I have long soliloquized my views on ‘colds’ and ‘sniffles’ ( very briefly – I don’t believe you can catch a cold – it’s a reaction of a body whose immune system is run down, not something that you can catch or pass on.) I was shocked that someone would leave it that late for a lunch date to pull out – especially given that they didn’t go to soccer practice that morning either. There was no resetting of a date or any follow up in communication. To say I was disappointed on many levels is an understatement.

So, I have collated a few simple rules in order for people to uphold social integrity. They may seem mundane or things that your mother droned on about….but if you think about it, you will be shocked at how few people do any of these on a regular basis.

If you are invited to a party or an event, respond in the manner the invitation came ( ie. If it was emailed – email it back) do this in a timely manner ( within 24 hours is best)

Get a organizer .. really… make note special events and your commitments and when someone asked you to dinner or to meet up for coffee, pull out your $2 pocket organizer and say – great! What date? And then WRITE IT IN.

RSVP to kids partys don’t just turn up and don’t turn up with extra guests, brothers or sisters and expect to be fed and entertained as well. Ensure you know the parent before the party and their expectations ( i.e whether you stay the entire time or if you drop and leave your child for a specific time)

If you are invited to a party, you bring a gift – be is small or otherwise. This is especially relevant for a childrens birthday party, engagements and weddings.

If you go to a friends place for a meal, you bring flowers, desert or a bottle of wine.

Offer to do the washing up after a meal and even if it is refused, stack and tidy the area, sweep or mop the floor.

If your children go for a play day with friends, you send morning or afternoon tea with them. If toys are taken out, or craft items spread around, ensure the area be resorted to a cleaner state than what it was before it was when the children arrived.

If you go somewhere with a friend and they have to pay for parking or tolls – offer to pay half – and especially in the economic climate now - offer petrol money.

If you stay at someones house – do so as you really want to see them, spend time in their space and be with that family – not because its cheaper than a motel. Bring a gift and chip in with household chores, make your bed and wash your sheets when you go to leave. Send a note of thanks or a postcard a few days afterwards.

If you borrow something, bring it back within the week and preferably with a gift or something to compliment it. ( ie. Fill the casserole dish up with lasagna or an apple crumble, clean and polish the tools, fill the mower up with petrol) this is ESPECIALLY true of books and DVDs. I have lost some very precious and rare titles, some of the signed or limited edition copies. I only lend to good friends so its especially heartbreaking to think that somewhere, gathering dust is one of my much loved items, unreturned. I know that it won’t be an intentional thing – that many items get stacked in a pile or placed in a bookshelf and simply forgotten. I don’t see it my place to go to friends houses to scour their shelves to retrieve borrowed things. Its thoughtlessness that causes it. Everyone so busy, they simple forget to think.

These rules are not just for friends – but for family too. Everyone needs to be acknowledged and thanked, appreciated and made a fuss of. Family especially tend to be mistreated or taken for granted. I am as guilty as the next person for saying things or doing things that you would NEVER do to a stranger. I know that I too need to being to live consciously…. ( another blog on its way!)

I have read reports which say that Gen Y is the least responsible, selfish generation yet and I fear for the direction of our society if this is true. I belong to Gen X and have two siblings who fall in the Gen Y category. I know we were parented the same way and yet, their views on the world, their demands and acceptance of things and especially their belief in their rights are so far removed from mine it is hard to sometimes believe we are related. It would seem that the rot which has beset Gen Y is seeming like a black cancer into all parts of society and all generations. The immediate access that society has with each other via mobile phones, has seemed to give everyone an excuse to be consistently late or to make late or change plans. The belief that Gen Y have a right to certain things including incredible wages straight out of uni. I have seen it mentioned that Gen Y is most concerned about lifestyle opportunities when choosing a career; but until workplaces can accept the needs of working parents and divide job tiles into part time roles, I cannot see this new requirement even getting a look in. In most western societies, a full time role might be paid 38 – 40 hours, but tends to be loaded with 10 – 15 hours of unpaid overtime as an expectation simply to keep the job, not as a sign of keenness or promotion material. I understand that Gen Y is all about socializing – their love and uptake on mobile phones (98% of them have one – over 70% have more than 2!!), inclusion on the things like facebook (97%) are testament to that. But I also read that employers say Gen-Ys are short on skills, demanding, impatient and far from loyal – flipping about jobs and companies. I read somewhere too that the spoilt bratishness of Gen Y is directly from the indulgence given them by baby boomers… so whose fault does this lay with? Poor old Gen X sits in the corener distrusting everything the government says and seeing commercialism in every cup of coffee.. I think what has been missed with Gen Ys beliefs on rights – is that responsibility is the flipside of that coin.

Anyway – back to Social Integrity….Is it so hard to have manners these days? I am proud of my children as they (mostly) display excellent manners everyday – to each other and especially to others in public. But I am a little dismayed at comments of awe from others who see my kids and how they could never expect their children to go to the movies, out to dinner or go camping as young as mine are. Is the next generation going ot be even worse than Gen Y?

Hummm enough I guess on social integrity… something I may revisit at a later date.

The pursuit of perfection

If you’ve not seen this transformation, then I suggest check this out ( its on utube) and forward it to everyone !

adobe photoshop from fat woman to thin woman

This brought up a lot of “stuff’ for me. Firstly I thought wow – isn’t it amazing what photoshop can do, the second how many hits this has gotten ( nearly 5 thousand) and the lack of comments made – only 3!!!. In particular the comment on how much better she looked after the ‘work’. Begs the question – she is a beautiful girl to start with... watch it – it is amazing.... - appreciate it for the talent this person has with photoshop and then get angry at society for demanding perfection.

How much of the photos and images we are being fed by the media have been doctored this much? I’d have to hazard a guess that most if not all of them are. How pitiful a society do we live in that we hold such perfection up as our model. What is the fascination of perfection and why are we all beating each other up when none of us are?

The next issue for me was thinking about the lass who modeled for it. I wonder how she is feeling seeing the transformation. Wondering if she could actually ever look like this. As a larger than life person myself, I often wonder what I would look like .. you know.. thinner. I have never been a small person having been ridiculed and teased all of my life for being different, bigger, fat, ugly etc.. Still, my character has grown and strengthened ( good old character building) and one wonders if thinner people get that sort of opportunity. My thoughts probably are that everyone is insecure – thinking the rest of the world is adjusted and fine. Women especially are constantly striving to be perfect – to be thinner, to be tanner, blonder, have longer hair, smoother skin.. whatever.

I went past a cosmetics stand the other day and the sales person caught me at a weak moment and began to ask me what I wanted to change about my skin – as if I believed I had problems. I actually have smooth supple skin and can get away with hanging with younger gals as I don’t look my age. I love the skin I am in! Sure, I’d love to be less ample. But the fantasy of what being thin has dominated my life for nearly 25 years and I have come to terms that its just not going to happen. I have starved myself , taken drugs ( both prescriptive and non) , lived on alcohol, self hatred and denial.

I used to believe that if I changed that simple little thing like my weight that I would suddenly have a golden key into a society of freedom, of acceptance and I would suddenly be a new person – some sort of Bond girl. I know too that being fat is a great excuse for NOT doing anything exciting. It’s a great excuse to just say why bother – I am never going to be skinny – so I can’t ( insert the next bit…. Get that Job, have a boyfriend, go on that exciting trip, have friends… etc etc..)

Until one day I realized that being bigger shouldn’t stop you from doing all the things you have said you were going to do when you ‘get thin’ – you know – wearing a pair of togs, ask that guy out, buy a beautiful dress, join a dance class, having a great relationship, being seen as sexy – no matter what your dress size… you can do them right now, the only person stopping you is YOU. And as it has been said many times before , life isn’t a rehearsal – you get one shot at it ( well this time in this body) and its passing us all by. We have either got to get on that racing car and drive it – or get in the boot and let someonelse take control.. Me – I hate being a passenger – much less being shoved into the boot ( or trunk) and left there to rot….

So move over, my little purple sports car and I are doing some laps.. wanna join me?

An open Letter to Dr Laura

Someone sent me this in an email after reading my first post here. Who knows if its true or not but its amusing none the less. It does bring up the thought though - religion and its dogman needs to move with the times, needs and requirements of societys advances. I am not picking on Christianity in anyway as I am sure that other religions have similar scriptures or readings which are a little out of touch with what is happening in the civilization it is struggling to exist with. I do think too that the reason many structured religions are seeing numbers drop in thier congrations, groups and gatherings is that it is losing relevance with the people it is trying to involve....

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:
When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot.
Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Did God punish women with painful childbirth?

Whether you recognize it or not, Christian faith and the bible underpins Western culture. It has affected our codes of justice, work ethic, sense of charity and the beliefs and misunderstandings surrounding sex, relationships and childbirth. Fear, pain and guilt have tended to be defining characteristics; and this is not reserved only for the religious. In now way am I diminishing the message of love, acceptance and charity the Bible also supports. However, I’d like to focus on the disempowering Christian belief that according to the Bible, God punishes women with physical agony in childbirth for Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden, and how this belief is closely intertwined with current medical practice and our society’s acceptance of painful child birth.


The Bible clearly teaches that giving birth is a blessing to women and in a number of places strongly upholds the role of motherhood and women in general. The scriptures do not degrade womanhood nor does not label child bearing as a curse. As with many misunderstandings arising from the Bible, it is the interpretation and the translation which must be looked at more deeply. Genesis 3:16 is the passage commonly quoted by those who believe women have been "cursed to give birth in pain". ( it outlines Eves punishment for having eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.) From a number of translations of that passage and in particular - the Hebrew word is translated as "pain" for the woman and "toil" for the man, it is clear that the translator's cultural beliefs have biased his judgment as a scholar of the text. The best description of giving birth is toil, or labor. From research, the so-called "curse of Eve", cannot be traced to the Scriptures or to early Judaism. It is first found in distorted Christian teachings of the third and fourth centuries A.D. Christian teachings which also upheld that abstinence, even in marriage, was the way to salvation. Thus the beginnings of the beliefs around sex being bad or dirty, sinful or unclean – even in marriage. God’s intent in Genesis 3 also needs to be reconsidered. Even as God confronted Eve, he immediately promised a Savior to come through her descendants. Simplifying it to the commandment of punishment misses the passages insights. Other scriptures show a loving God, who is concerned for the good of the all humankind, disobedient or otherwise.
We as a society ( western one at least) have ignored many natural birthing practices embraced by so called primitive or sheltered civilizations. Pain during child birth was actually a rare occurrence in our ancient ancestry. In religious fervor midwives, or wise women, were burned at the stake and falsely accused of witchcraft throughout Europe, especially if they administered any form of pain relief. Women were told that it was Gods Will that they suffer during birthing as penance for Eves sin.
Pain and death was not strongly associated with childbirth until the 16th and 17th century when people began to flock to the cities during the industrial revolution. The masses of people no longer lived from the toil of the land, but worked in cottage industries or factories and used coin to trade for food, goods and services.
With cities growing, the need for formalized medical support outside monasteries, gave rise to small hospitals which due to lack of understanding of hygiene were a hot bed of disease. No longer were people able to access a local herbalist or healer as they had done in the past. The epidemics of child bed fever as women began delivering in the "houses of charity" created unhealthy conditions for our great great grandmothers to birth in.

Anesthesia was withheld from laboring women until the mid-nineteenth century so as not to interfere with God’s “punishment.” In that environment, childbirth was indeed an event which terrified women. This terror was compounded by climbing rates of death from post-partum infection through physicians who did not understand the need for sanitation and hygiene. There have been reports of clergymen who refused to baptize babys whose mothers asked for pain relief during labor. Given the strong social status the church held in most western societies at this time, to deny a person baptism was to shun them for their life, depleting their prospects in jobs, work and a future family life.
Many women chose to birth their children at home as little as 50 years ago as hospitals were still seen as places for the chronically ill or injured to go to. Childbirth became a big business in the time of the baby boomers and whole industries birthed at the same time.
Medical advances and discoveries with hygiene and sanitation have made hospitals a safer environment for patients. With the migration of the population and de centralization of family units, the medical system stepped in as surrogate support for birthing. Family wisdom and caring was often no longer available due to distance, so women chose to go to hospital to birth and began to give their choices and options away. Birthing became a medical condition and treated as an illness; one to be medicated and eased with pain killers or by passed with surgery. Society accepted through the last few centuries that childbirth was painful and the ‘secret’ womens groups who whisper and hide facts from the uninitiated ( non mothers) only add fuel to this belief. There seems to be a one ups (wom)manship on how much pain was endured, or of how long labor went on within these circle and cynical vultures ready to swoop down on a newly pregnant women to tell tales of gory and pain. With something as strong and embedded as this belief, it is difficult to turn the tide backed up by society, pharmaceuticals and the medical practice.
Being a mother is much more than just a physical act of birthing. The bonding with a baby is a fundamental part of living and if anesthetized, this bond may be impared. I don't believe God made childbirth painful - a loving God as described in the Bible and by Christians, would never wish to punish every woman for all time..again, keeping in mind that the men who decrypted the scriptures had to make many assumptions (ill matched knowledge of many things for example a celibate monk who has been in a monastery all his life would have little real knowledge about women's anatomy...when translating the punishment of Eve and of birthing) Thankfully there are many women who are wanting to reconnect with the old wisdom, to reject C sections as a run of the mill procedure ( don't get me wrong - I am GLAD we have medical intervention and the OPTION of having assistance.. I am distressed at the blase approach so many women approach birthing and never consider doing anything except having a C section..). The physical pain and birth process of a conscious woman certainly is to be respected, and to seek to relieve that pain is a natural thing to want to do. I'd love to see more informed choices for women - rather than what suits the Ob and for women to reconnect with her true nature, rather than accept what is offered on a medical script.