How many times have you heard this: if they're old enough to ASK to nurse, they're too old to nurse. As logically barren as this statement might be, I see it tossed around A LOT. When I saw it brought up in a Peaceful Parenting thread on Facebook I was so proud to read the responses from mothers nursing their toddlers, so I thought I'd collate some of best ones below.

"How do you respond to the whole, 'If they're old enough to ASK to nurse, they're too old to nurse...' criticism?"

Really? Why? What makes you say that? How do you know? Says who?

Do you mean if you can ask for it, you can't have it? 'It' meaning love, nutrition, comfort, nurturing, food, drink?

When my child can ask for broccoli by name, should I stop feeding it to him?

And if he is old enough to tell me he needs a diaper change I shouldn't do it?

Did you stop feeding your child when they were old enough to ask for food?

You're old enough to ask your waitress for food, should she not bring it to you then?

Just because we can communicate that we want something doesn't mean we don't deserve to have it.

Children have been asking to nurse since they were born! Language isn't always just spoken.

Children started asking at birth with the rooting reflex. The only difference now is that they use words.

In my family, children are to be seen, heard and believed. I know my child is done when he stops asking for it.

Meeting my child's needs now means that he won't have childish needs as an adult. If you baby the baby, you don't have to baby the adult.

And lastly, thanks for your concern. I will give it all the consideration it deserves.

I carry around a Kellymom article about extended breastfeeding in my diaper bag

The idea of carrying around some facts about extended breastfeeding (full term breastfeeding) is great. So you can quote things like this from Kellymom:

The biological weaning age of humans is 2.5 to 7 years of age.

Children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness.

Nursing toddlers have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration.

Breast milk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year of life, especially protein, fat, and most vitamins.

Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation, and increase during the 2nd year.

Breastfeeding perks up children and energizes them; it soothes the frustrations, bumps and bruises, and daily stresses of early childhood. Nursing past infancy helps little ones make a gradual transition to childhood.

The WHO recommends breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says:
It is recommended to breastfeed beyond 1 year and for as long as mutually desired by mother and child. There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding. Increased duration of breastfeeding has significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother. There is no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.

The longer a mother breastfeeds, the lower her risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.

There is no evidence that nursing past infancy interferes with a child's appetite for other foods.

How do I respond to and avoid criticism about breastfeeding?