Usual story: a photo guilelessly posted to Facebook - this one of a toddler pretending to "breastfeed" his baby sister - sparked outrage.
“Don’t worry mom. I got you covered!” That was the caption of an image posted on the breastfeeding group page, Mama Talk.
Your kid might be breastfed when...
Posted by Breastfeeding Mama Talk on Thursday, January 7, 2016
But instead of viewing it as a sweet attempt of a typical toddler to mimic what mommy does, many viewers took issue with the photo, calling it "disgusting," "sick," and even “pornographic.”
This is a toddler and a baby we're talking about.
Some viewers even suggested "those children need to be taken away from the parents and the photographer arrested.” Seriously?
Others panicked about safety, claiming the baby could be suffocated. “Then you've hurt two children. I guess common sense isn't common.”
No, common sense is certainly not common.
It's funny how two people can look at the same picture and see two very different things going on. I personally don't see sick or sexualized when I look at that photo. Nor do I see neglectful mom, that baby is going to DIE.
What I do see, however, is a typical toddler doing what typical toddlers do - they imitate what they see their parents doing. And in this case, it's feeding a younger sibling.
As imitation goes, I think this is innocent and perfectly harmless. After all, if we want to normalize breastfeeding across generations to come, then this is how it starts.
When children grow up watching other children nurse, it becomes a ritual that's as much a part of the day-to-day fold as brushing teeth or drinking water.
The only sad and sick attributes of this photo are what we as viewers project onto it.
RELATED: Backlash Over Photo of Mom Nursing on Santa's Lap 
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