Baby fever

When you read enough, you start to notice patterns. An interesting article is actually part of a wider trend. Publications mine similar seams of storytelling.

And so, coincidentally or not, four weeks after Valentine's Day, new parents are the topic de jour. 

New York Magazine is running a series called ‘Oh, Baby’ examining how people make the choice to have kids, and whether they regret it. Among some truly terrifying real talk is the millennial rediscovery of Merle Bombardieri’s seminal book, The Baby Decision, which has become a cult bible 45 years after first being published. 

Meanwhile, Pinterest released its first-ever Parenting Trend Report. In a sign that the social media age ban might be working, searches for “screen free activities” are up 200% year over year, while “no phone summer” is up a massive 340%. Perhaps linked to this, searches for “fun physical activities for kids” that burn off excess energy are also up over 300%.

An essay by Daniel Smith on ‘The Mind-Numbing, Soul-Crushing Boredom of Parenthood’ actually ends up being far more positive and life-affirming than the title suggests. 

You’ve got Derek Thompson comparing parenting to Paris and a theme park and experts weighing in on the challenges of raising boys in the age of the manosphere.

Cultural norms now demand that, with access to the totality of known wisdom just a poorly prompted question to your chosen LLM away, you do your research before you act.

And if you’re considering entering a brave new world of parenthood, all of this information and analysis is surely good - after all, informed decisions are generally better decisions. 

But as another article in New York Magazine’s ‘Oh, Baby’ series explains, knowing so much about parenting can also lead to decision paralysis. 

Perhaps the most important aspect to jumping into a world of tiny bodily functions and sleep deprivation is some level of blissful ignorance.