another caption contest
Here’s the latest cartoon for my office’s caption contest:
Vote here for your favorite caption.
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One of my friends said that she thought the cartoon was anti-working parent. I can see where she’s coming from — the idea that the baby is being neglected because the parents are so busy. But that certainly wasn’t our intent. We thought of it more as a comment on non-family friendly work environments, and how frazzled parents are as a result. (Heck, even with T. home full-time, I still often feel like we’re running a relay, passing the parenting baton as we race past each other.)
These cartoons are an attempt to be lighthearted about serious subjects, to start conversations outside our usual wonkish circles. But they’re inherently a bit ambiguous, with potential for varying interpretations — someone told me she thought one of the captions in our first contest was anti-immigrant.
July 31st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I didn’t think it was anti-working parent. What struck me is the dad and mom involved in this together. Also I think it captures the exhaustion of taking care of a small child; it does feel an awful lot like running a marathon, and the hand-off means that one parent can rest!
August 1st, 2007 at 12:45 am
I don’t have a pithy caption – but my immediate thought when I saw the cartoon was “holy shit, that was us!” My husband and I – since our daughter was born – each work part-time schedules so we can each be home a couple days / week. Our weeks have always had a lot of moving pieces – him, me, one day or so of daycare, activities like swimming or gymnastics. While I have always felt lucky that we share parenting and wouldn’t want it any other way, it does involve a lot of juggling and hand-offs.
June 7th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. — Derrick, age 8