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Post by greer on Nov 26, 2007 20:28:15 GMT -5
^it kind of seemed to me that peaches had some trouble getting pregnant, so she probably wanted to not work so she could put as little stress on herself as possible.
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Post by aln1982 on Nov 26, 2007 20:30:46 GMT -5
^ That's what I was thinking too. I also always assumed she had trouble getting pregant but maybe that was because my aunt, who Peaches reminds me of and who also had several miscarriages, did. I can see how getting a new house ready could definitely take at least nine months. ;D Glad I don't have to worry about it.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Nov 26, 2007 21:20:05 GMT -5
^it kind of seemed to me that peaches had some trouble getting pregnant, so she probably wanted to not work so she could put as little stress on herself as possible. Yeah, that makes sense. For some reason I thought Peaches had trouble getting pregnant as well, although I've got no idea where that thought came from
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Post by greer on Nov 26, 2007 22:00:17 GMT -5
^well, she and russ were married for a long time before they had kids and claudia mentioned once that she thought maybe peaches couldn't have kids and what a bummer that was because she thought they'd be great parents. so i imagine there most of be some sort of (perhaps thinly veiled) talk around the kishi talk and peaches and fertility. plus then she had the miscarriage, although that is a common occurence.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Nov 26, 2007 22:11:29 GMT -5
At the end of this one, my heart seriously ached for Peaches -- I hated that the book had to end that way!
On a different note...I liked reading about how close Claudia felt to Peaches. I loved their crazy adventures, the midnight pizza run sounded like fun -- I kind of felt like Mrs. Kishi overreacted, considering Claudia was with Peaches, who's related to the family. Then again, Peaches should have left a note. Also....I loved that Claudia wanted to knit a blanket for the baby. Did she ever finish it?
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Post by greer on Nov 26, 2007 23:00:10 GMT -5
yup, in time for lynn's birth
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Dec 11, 2007 16:57:40 GMT -5
I finally finished this book, after picking it up several times over the past few weeks. I don't think it's one of my favorites. I did not think that Peaches behavior was very responsible, at all. Nor do I think that Claudia should have been the one to apologize. Claudia is a poor student, and everyone knows that. Including Peaches, I would assume. So calling Claudia a sulky teenager was completely out of line. Take a 13 year old out at midnight and not leaving a note? You don't blame the thirteen year old -- she was out with an older relative.
And I would have liked to seen a plot in the BSC where a pregnant woman wasn't all "yay, OMG I'm going to have a baby the world rox so hard yay!". How about another Pike pregnancy -- where the parents are kind of pissed about it and not sure how to pay for it and the kids are like "dude, we so DO NOT need another baby -- have you seen Nicky's teeth? That kid needs braces, mom. Haven't you heard of a diaphragm?" Or even just a normal family, like Karen's mom being pregnant and just not really wanting another kid to raise. It happens. Not everyone wants children.
How about a sitter who prefers the older kids? Why do they have to all be "ooooh a baby"...
Sorry, I'm feeling slightly anti baby right now.
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 11, 2007 17:36:44 GMT -5
I agree about Peaches being irresponsible about this one, which disappointed me since I usually really like her. I did like her and Claudia and everyone being excited about the baby because it reminded me of how I felt when my aunt who I was close to finally managed to get pregnant. Since it's the baby-sitters club and the focus is on loving babies and kids, it doesn't surprise me that they had another pregnancy that people were happy about. ;D I think that's why I read these books instead of another kids series - I love babies and kids (even though I don't have or want any of my own.)
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Dec 11, 2007 19:22:26 GMT -5
^I understand that the focus is on baby-sitting. I just think it would be interesting and more realistic to see how the sitters respond to someone who isn't all "yay baby." Or even just a pregnant mom who doesn't want their help. At least in the beginning of the series, when Mrs. Newton was pregnant, she didn't necessarily need the sitters to create a contingency plan for Lucy's arrival. It actually seemed more like she was humoring them. Come to think of it, Mrs. Newton was pretty good friends with Mrs. Thomas. I miss those kind of interactions.
Also, I just want to see Kristy's reaction to a mother who is less then super excited about another baby. I think it would be amusing to see Kristy all confused and crazylike. : )
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Dec 12, 2007 15:29:28 GMT -5
I finally finished this book, after picking it up several times over the past few weeks. I don't think it's one of my favorites. I did not think that Peaches behavior was very responsible, at all. Nor do I think that Claudia should have been the one to apologize. Claudia is a poor student, and everyone knows that. Including Peaches, I would assume. So calling Claudia a sulky teenager was completely out of line. Take a 13 year old out at midnight and not leaving a note? You don't blame the thirteen year old -- she was out with an older relative. TOTALLY agree. True. But this is the BSC. Without babies and children, there wouldn't be a series ;D Not to mention that this is a series for pre-teen girls, so they're probably not going to be mentioning Mrs Pike's lack of diaphragm ;D ... and if a couple were upset and nervous about an unplanned pregnancy and the prospect of having another child to raise, would they share those feelings with their existing children or 13 yr old babysitters? All good, although I can't relate! I love babies
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 12, 2007 17:32:09 GMT -5
^ Agree on all, Macca. While interesting, a book about someone not wanting kids would not be the type the writers want for the target audience, in my opinion. That's why I read the BSC and not another series. ;D
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Dec 13, 2007 1:16:06 GMT -5
^See, I think it would be good for the target audience, if done correctly. (which would be very difficult, considering how they've screwed up other things). I've known from a very early age that I don't like children. I didn't like my friends younger brothers and sister, I've never liked baby relatives, and I HATE going out to eat and having kids in the next booth being all obnoxious. (part of the reason I don't eat at chains) However, I like older children, and I loved these books so much. I've even been known to baby-sit, for children who are toilet trained. I don't like it when people are all "hold the baby" and I don't like that I, as a woman, was expected to go to college and "find a good husband." I didn't juggle 3 varsity sports, latin club, french club, jazz band, varsity choir, young writers club, student government, volunteer, and hold down a part time job in high school so I could get married. I did that so I could go to a good college (which I transfered out of when my major changed), and get a really good high profile job. Re-reading these books now, I think it might have been nice to know that I am not a total freak for not falling all over myself at the sight of a baby. These books influenced a lot of how I think and act. I know it sounds weird and cliched, but I read these books more than anything else, and I would always pick a book over television. I'm from the bible belt of Michigan, so sometimes it seems like women are treated more like future baby-makers then actual people. I think the books did a really good job of showing the reader women with jobs and diversity (this is going to sound so wrong, but Jessi was totally my only black "friend" for about 12 years), but I just wish that AMM would have branched out from the constant sqeeing over every single baby. I can see it helping other girls who dream of careers and a future that isn't tied to some guy. Even if just one of the sitters showed a lack of "OMG THATS SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL," I think I would be more lenient on the constant baby love. At the beginning of the series, Stacey was more into the older children (like in Kristy's Big Day), but then her character became more like the other girls except with fashion sense. For me, especially now, I just don't understand why people are excited about something that 52% of the population can do (procreate). Be excited about people who solve world hunger, or cure AIDS or SARS. Okay, that was a very long, OT rant that had virtually nothing to do with this book. Okay, so I think it was also kind of weird how all the girls wanted to be so involved with Peaches baby. Like Shannon, trying to teach the fetus French. While I totally agree with that idea, and if (probably when) I ever go down that route, I would do the same thing. But it seemed rather strange, that Shannon whom one book earlier didn't know Claud that well, would be trying to help out with Peaches pregnancy. And WHY would she quit her job so she could hang out at the Kishi's house for a month? Surely there couldn't be that much to do. And I know that other people who've miscarried their first baby still set up their nursery. This book is too weird. I really think I like the first books much better - the ones I grew up with. This one was one of the very last ones I read and I didn't remember very much of it. I read it yesterday and I already forgot the sub-plot. Please don't be mad at me. I mean no disrespect, and the use of "you" isn't directed at anyone in particular. It's more of a commentary on our society. And I really am not a mean person. I just prefer to not be around babies. Nor do I care if you choose to have them, or love them. There have been a few that have worked their way into my heart, but it's rare.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Dec 13, 2007 4:43:36 GMT -5
No, it's all good! I wasn't mad - I enjoy reading your opinions. I just think that a series like the BSC, which is totally focused around how much they all ADORE children (to the point of being utterly ridiculous and obsessive, as in Winter Vacation) it's unrealistic to expect an anti-baby theme from any of them. Although having a sitter who preferred an older age-group and was not all ZOMG I LOVE TEH BABIES!!!111 might've been a good approach. It sounds like where I live is a bit more ... progressive, I guess you'd call it? Having children is definitely seen as a choice and women are certainly not expected to be "baby factories" - if anything, women who choose to settle down and have kids before the "average" age are criticised more so than women who do the standard university, career and THEN marriage and kids thing. I've never heard of an expectation for girls to "find a good husband" in college! Those concepts are just foreign to me and I can't believe that thinking still exists in this day and age. So I'm speaking from the other side of the fence, I guess. Absolutely agree with this. There is no reason a woman without additional children needs to be home for her ENTIRE pregnancy
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Post by aln1982 on Dec 13, 2007 10:12:02 GMT -5
^ Other than some women (pregnant or not) just feel like being home. ;D
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Dec 13, 2007 13:19:02 GMT -5
I'm not a baby lover either, cpennylane. I was never treated like I needed to go to college and find a husband and devote my life to having children and caring for them by famiy or friends, but there's a lot of pressure in churches to choose that path. It's totally right and great for some people, but not for me. What really gets me is when people don't believe me or insist I'll change my mind when I say I don't want kids. Why in the world doesn't anyone think I can know my own mind about this? (/rant over) About the book: the pizza that Claudia and Peaches go out for is what sticks out in my mind. Other than that, not a favorite!
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