The brains behind reality shows like Dance Moms and Bridezillas have are in the midst of developing a new reality television series called Extreme Parenting. The new project features women who breastfeed their children well past infancy, and Examinor.com says it was "inspired by the controversial Time Magazine cover from a few months ago."
In addition to the controversial practice of breastfeeding older children, Extreme Parenting will pot the spotlight on "a range of America's kookiest parenting rituals," reports the UK's Daily Mail. "Breastfeeding beyond infancy is just one of the topics we plan to cover," said Jeff Collins, the president of Collins Avenue Productions. His company is developing the series. "We've discovered people are raising kids in all kinds of un-traditional ways these days and some people find their methods to be extreme."
Collins told Canada's Yahoo Shine, "That cover proves what I've been saying for the last year - America has become a country of extremes. I think it's so fascinating that some Americans find the image of woman breastfeeding to be provocative, shocking, even sexual when, in fact, it's the most natural thing in the world."
Collins contends that the purpose of the program is not to exploit women's parenting choices, but rather to attempt to understand the choices they make. "When you watch any of my shows you can see a common thread," he said. "I'm interested in peeling back the curtain to look at choices other people make that will have a huge impact on their children or their lives. I'm fascinated by the way other people raise their children... it's interesting to me to see so many people breaking the mold of tradition."
No networks have picked up the show yet, but it's reportedly being shopped around. Viewers might be able to tune in to Extreme Parenting at some piont in the fall of 2012.
