Tampabay.com

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Bethenny Frankel offers hope for fat babies

bethenny.jpgThe Real Housewives' Bethenny Frankel wants to get a girl's body issues off to a good start. Jezebel takes issue with her new line of onesies in Cafe Press with "Future SkinnyGirl" emblazoned on it. Frankel peddles diet margaritas under the brand name SkinnyGirl and notes on her creation that "I hope to raise Bryn to value a healthy lifestyle as I do"

Jezebel writer Jessica Coen notes:

I know, I know. Babies are fat. They really are. They're totally gross, what with their sweet-smelling little rolls of baby fat creating adorable muffin tops that uncontrollably spill over their diapers. Honestly, how does a baby even look at itself in the mirror that's hanging over the crib? So yes, I suppose babies need Bethenny's help.  But broadcasting a baby's fat condition, however lamentable it may be, by emblazoning it across her chest is simply an unnecessary amount of pressure at such a young age. Save it for when she's in preschool with her peers and can compare herself to all the other Future SkinnyGirls in her group. And in the meantime, how about an "I Love Margaritas" onesie? It'll get the little gal headed in the right direction.  

So is Bethenny just being funny or totally oblivious to the huge numbers of girls with life-altering body image issues? She does have a great sense of sarcasm but I would hope she would accept her daughter even if she didn't grow up to be skinny. It bothers me a bit that the child may feel she has to represent the family business on her hips.

--Sharon Kennedy Wynne

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THE AUTHORS

Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

SP_255665_CROS_KATE.jpgAfter six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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