May 18, 2005 5:15 PM
A baby's just the thing!
I forgot I was supposed to share something interesting. Here it is:
While we've been busy squabbling about the validity of QuiverFull philosophy and the alleged judgmentalism of those who subscribe to it, a new twist has been added which may change the dynamic of the debate:
A new trend toward an extra child -- that is, in addition to the standard two -- has been noted in the upper crust by Simon Doonan in the New York Observer.
In his article Two Kids? So Bourgeois! The New Rule of Three, Doonan writes:
Onto the landscape of Manhattan, a new and lethal status symbol has alighted-and it's causing the J.A.P.'s and WASP's of the Upper East Side to quiver with envy. No, I'm not talking about those impossible-to-find strings of oversized Lanvin pearls wrapped in black mousseline. Or, for that matter, those $20,000 Rochas dresses that are selling before they hit the racks.The lethal wealth indicator to which I refer is much more squishy and biological and-dare I say it?-uterine. All you need to possess it is a Matterhorn of cash and a high tolerance for pain.
Yes, I'm talking about THE THIRD CHILD. Call it the Grace Kelly Syndrome. You can even call it the Demi Moore Syndrome. Either way, three is the new two! That critical third child-quite possibly the status symbol of this decade-will get you more Park Avenue cred than a fleet of Bentleys.
This trend was highlighted for me last week by my pal Amy Astley, the editrix of Teen Vogue. Her observations were made after dropping off her two girls at elementary school in Tribeca. "The third child screams, 'My apartment is massive, my S.U.V. is spacious, my cash unlimited!'" observed an amused Ms. Astley, who believes the third-child trend is not only driven by a desire to demonstrate richesse, but also by a deranged, Kennedyesque desire to give birth to a clan.
I don't know about you, but this article -- which I found by way of Reasoned Audacity-- made my day, humor wise.
And then I got a resonating spiritual hit from Feminine Genius , which goes a long way to prove just how much punch 159 words can carry.
I especially loved her redemptive close:
A baby grows in his parents' hearts and minds like the seeds in the parable, in ways they don't understand and don't control, and if it's conversion from selfishness and frivolity that's needed, a baby's just the thing.
Posted in Big families | Permalink
Comments
Hello. Stumbled across your blog when I typed in "down syndrome" somewhere (my youngest is diagnosed with this).
I've noticed the 3 child trend also (I'm one of them - so far). I believe it has to do with the fact that many people from my generation came from 2 child families (preferably a boy and a girl) and we cringe at the thought of continuing that dynamic. We do long for a "larger" family, but are probably not "quiver-full" material (this requires a purging of most modern ideas). I suppose, to be honest, most of us are too selfish to go that route.
Anyhow, enjoyed reading a few entries. :)Cheryl
Posted by: cheryl | May 19, 2005 4:56 PM
