Katie's first mention in the NY Times

Katie was mentioned in the New York Times yesterday. They have a quote from me and the actual paper has a picture of me (not the online version). Now granted I would much rather have had a quote in the Times based on my work, but given that the majority of my work is currently being a mom, I guess it's fitting. Now the joke is, of course, that the article was about New Yorkers concerns about mercury in tuna sushi. I absolutely hate tuna of any form and don't touch sushi. So here's how it happened.

Katie and I were walking back from a playdate with Jill and Kevin and I was about to go into Gourmet Garage to buy some turkey for lunch when a reporter stopped me. He asked us about what we thought about the high mercury content that they are finding in tuna sushi. Not eating sushi, I deferred to Jill who does. And the 2 of us had a good 10 minute conversation with the reporter. The quote from me really reflects more of how I am (currently) trying to approach parenting - and yes, in many ways, this does actually reflect my academic work. It's all about picking and choosing risks. Living involves many risks and I think you pick and choose what's most real to you, what's most important to you, and what quells your anxieties. Cars cause me a ton of anxiety and I'll be the first one to tell you I'm a carseat nut. I can't even think about putting Katie in a cab without a carseat. To me that's the greatest risk because motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of accidental death in children. Other people may be no-tv nuts or only-organic-food-nuts or whatever moves them. None of this is right or wrong, it's just what you choose. And at some point you have to choose and draw the line or you'll go crazy and never leave the house (which is probably full of mold, mildew, and various toxins any way).

So back to fish... I've only recently started to eat fish and I have a cousin who is a very well-regarded toxicologist with the EPA. Her immediate response is that neither Katie nor I should be eating tuna steaks more than once a month, and not much of the other stuff. Not a concern of course, since we both hate the tuna. But I made miso black cod on Wednesday night and Katie couldn't get enough of it. It was very yummy and since this news about the tuna came out I was thinking am I hurting my child by letting her eat this delicious fish? But at the same time, fish has properties that are wonderful for your health. Everything in moderation; even cousin Linda says you can eat tuna on occasion.