Babies are resilient. Babies are tough. Babies have a wicked sense of humor. Babies can spend the first year of their life licking dirt, spending time unsupervised, and cuddling with cows and still enter into the toddler stage healthy and happy.
These are all things I learned after watching the brilliant documentary “Babies.”
Every parent should take the time to go see this movie. It follows the first year of life of four babies living in Africa, Mongolia, Tokyo and San Francisco. It wasn’t only the dramatic differences in the way the babies were being raised that was fascinating–the African baby has his ‘hair cut’ with a machete, the Mongolian baby taken home from the hospital on the back of a motorcycle–it was also the underlaying truth that babies are babies, no matter where they hang their…well, I would say diaper, but only two of the four ever wears one.
Take a look at this video about the movie with an interview with its French makers– Thomas Balmes, Director and Alain Chabat, Producer. (Unrelated: Is there anything cuter than a French man saying the word “babies?”)
I think they hit on it in their interview, as long as there is love, the babies were happy and healthy. So, put down the Purell and go give your baby a rock to play with, really, it’s fine.
I dreamt of babies last night…I did not want to wake up!!!
My daughter and I are going this weekend!!!
I am dying to see that movie!!
Just seeing that little Mongolian baby makes me smile all over again.
I want to see this. I could have told you that a baby can eat dirt and still turn out alright, my youngest probably eats more dirt and food off the floor than anyone I know, and he is healthy. I believe he is just given his immune system a workout!
I want to see this too.
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Thanks for the thumbs up on this one. I’ve been considering it.
This looks fabulous!! And YIPPEE it’s playing at the independent theater in town so guess where I’ll be going this week.
Thanks for sharing, Suz!
Where is the movie babies playing. I live in Florida.
Thanks
Helen Dempsey
yes!! i have a 9 1/2 month old and i have NEVER tried to put her in a bubble…frightened of this germ and that germ. she is already walking fully and is all over the place. i let her experience her world..get dirty, touch stuff, she puts stuff in her mouth constantly. it really annoys me when other people try to make her stop touching something. she needs to explore!! and build her immune system. and you know what? in 9 1/2 months she has only been sick ONE TIME. and it was just a common viral infection (cold)
she is strong as a bull 🙂