Many employees today are calling in sick - not to care for themselves or their children, but to care for their aging parents. Baby boomers are rapidly moving into the role of caregivers for their parents, but with a few extra challenges due to the changing face of our workforce. Nearly 25% of U.S. households are now involved in caring for a senior family member, spending an average of 20 hours a week in caregiving services. Nearly 65% of those individuals providing the caregiving are employed outside of the home. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 15 million days of work per year are lost due to these circumstances. These numbers are forecasted to increase since the longevity of life is being extended by modern medicine.The workforce is also aging with more people moving toward retirement age and fewer young people filling the ranks. The median age of workers has risen by five years since 1986, making the average worker 40 years old. Women in this age group, who are primarily the caregivers for their parents, continue working full time in order to support their family, pay their children's college tuition, or save for their own retirement. These situations are even more compounded because many baby boomers have relocated away from their senior family members to pursue job opportunities.Another issue facing baby boomers and their families is the cost of care for their senior family members. Many members of the sandwich generation will be shocked to find out what the cost of prescription medications really run, especially since many of the medications are not covered by Medicare. This will cause many retired seniors and some baby boomers to continue their pursuit of a career, and not enjoy their Golden Years.When faced with these issues, it is always best to have some future plan in place. Do not wait until mom or dad is in the critical care bed or is being discharged from the hospital. Here are a few suggestions for the potential or current caregiver to contemplate:1. Talk to your parents and/or family members before a crisis. This will help you and all those involved to truly understand their wishes. Discuss with them the topics of Medicare, health insurance, long-term care insurance, and if they have other important legal documents regarding medical treatment (i.e., Living Will, Durable Medical Power of Attorney, etc?).2. Locate any community resources that may be available to you and your family. The Valley of the Sun has numerous services available for the elderly (i.e. Area Agency on Aging, Meals on Wheels, Adult Day Care Facilities, Housing, etc?). You can access many of these services via the local hospital or skilled nursing facility discharge planners, senior citizen centers, or even the local clergy.3. Ask your employer if they can help. Many employers are willing to help employee caregivers in order to retain valuable workers. Find out if your employer offers paid leave benefits for flex hours. Some employees are even beginning to include long-term care insurance or caregiver respite programs in their benefit package.4. Ask friends and family for help. Ask them what experiences they have had with some of the community services. Many of these people may have already gone through this and can be of assistance.5. Talk to your local clergy. Many local churches and synagogues have family assistance programs or have access via their denominations. If these services are not available, most clergy are familiar with what can be obtained by you or your family.Caring for our aging parents may be one of the more challenging roles we undertake in our adult lives. With forethought, consideration and a little planning on everyone's part, it can actually have a more positive outcome.Hearts of Joy Senior Care provides an affordable, non-medical, in-home companion care service for seniors, which enables them to maintain their independence, as well as dignity and self-respect. Marc and Susan speak around the valley on numerous topics regarding senior care, with a primary focus on fall prevention and home safety. Hearts of Joy Senior Care Inc. can be reached at (480) 948-4655.

Baby names are as diverse as the people to whom they are given. Choosing the right name for your baby can be a very challenging yet fun exercise! This is my story.Before I was married I used to work as a midwife in a Labor Ward. I have helped deliver over 1,000 babies. It was an awesome feeling every time I placed the baby in the mother's arms for the first time. Often I would ask, 'What's your baby's name?' The mother would look up at me with such pride and say, 'His (or her) name is....'. I loved sharing their joy. Seeing the mother snuggle up to her baby and announcing her baby's name!I was destined to be married! An unmistakable inner thought filled my mind at the age of sixteen. I knew then that I would do nurses' training, two years of bible college and then I would get married and go to Ethiopia as a missionary.Bill, my husband-to-be, had been a single missionary in Ethiopia for five years. While praying one time, a strong impression came to him that God would give him a wife when he returned to Australia on leave. Bill stopped in Singapore on the way home and bought the engagement and wedding rings. He had just enough money left to buy a watch, and the brand name of the watch was "Rebekah". As Bill was reading the story of Rebekah in the Bible, this verse stood out "Just as I led Abraham's servant to find a wife for Isaac, I will lead you to your future wife." (Genesis, chapter 24) Hang in there! I am telling you this story so that you will understand why we named one of our daughters Rebecca!Bill arrived back in Australia and decided to visit the bible college where he had trained. On the way, Bill heard an inner voice saying, "She is in the college." He prayed a prayer similar to Abraham's servant, "Lord, let it be the first girl I meet." I was the first girl he met! We were so sure of God's plan for our lives that the next time we met we were engaged.A few months later we were married and on our way as newly weds to work in an isolated area southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia. After three challenging years we flew home because of the imminent birth of our eldest child. We named her Leanne Maree. Leanne was a name we always wanted if we had a girl. Maree was chosen because the night we were engaged we went to see the movie, 'The Sound of Music' and Maree was our modern version of Maria in the musical.We were back in Ethiopia for the birth of our second child. An American doctor helped bring Carolyn Joy into the world, in a remote Ethiopian hospital. To minimize the risk of infection, the doctor advised me to only stay in the hospital for one hour after giving birth. The nicest thing about the experience was bringing our little bundle of joy home! Carolyn Joy was named after the doctor's daughter.With each pregnancy we expected a boy! We wanted to call him Peter, because Peter's character in the Bible reminded me of myself. He was outgoing, loving, passionate and spoke his mind. We did not have ultrasound in Ethiopia to determine the sex of the baby so we anxiously waited to see if we would have a Leanne or Peter. When Carolyn was coming it was Carolyn or Peter. I was pregnant again when we left Ethiopia at the beginning of the communist's occupation. This time it would be Peter Andrew or Rebecca Grace. Rebecca Grace won ? she was named after Bill's watch brand, Rebekah, and Grace is my second name!With three beautiful girls we both agreed that Peter was not to be! Until one night I was reading from the Bible and these words stood out, "Next year you will have a son." Peter Andrew was born nine months later.No doubt if you are having a child or have had children you can tell a story of how you came to choose your baby's name. Choosing the right baby name is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make in life.Talking of names! Another big decision you will have to make is whether you will have your name written down in Heaven. The Bible says clearly that the moment you come alive spirituality and become God's child your name is written down in Heaven. When you become his child, your name is recorded in his family register. A cartoon flash presentation on my website (www.ydyc.org) will show you how you can become God's child and have your name written down in Heaven. You can be sure of your final destiny.Wilma Watson is the producer of the cartoon website: http://www.ydyc.orgShe has a passion to help people reach their maximum potential through making spirituality simple and fun.Choosing the right name for your baby can be a very challenging yet fun exercise! This her my story.

Often when I receive emails from this list with folks,
Telling me that they have discovered their life's
purpose but they don't have the money to do what
they need to start living their purpose.Please, please, please do not let your lack of money
stand in the way of you living the life that God has
planned for you to live.There is always a way to do what needs to be done
regardless of how much or how little money you may have.If the lack of money is an issue for you, start small.Let's say that you see yourself opening a store of some kind
but right now you don't have the money. Don't say to yourself,
when you get the money you will open your store, because
chances are, the money will never come. How do you expect
it to come when you are doing the same thing for the past five years. If you don't have an extra $1000 right now, than what will make you think that you will have an extra $1000 five years from now.You wont, unless you make some changes in your life.Instead of telling yourself that you don't have enough money
to start living your life's purpose. Ask yourself, how can I start living my life's purpose with what I already have. You may be amazed at the amount of ideas which come to you that will
allow you to live your purpose on a shoe-string budget.Let me give you an example. Once, when I decided that I wanted
to promote a boat ride, I was terminated from my job and had NO
money. But, I did have credit cards. I used my credit cards to fund my project and never looked back. I'm not encouraging anyone to go into debt by using their credit cards, but what I am trying to get across that if you really, truly want to make changes in your life you will do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. You must have that type of desire in order for it to work for you.ACTION POINT: Find a way to start living your life's purpose regardless of how much money you have in your bank account. Make a list of things that you can do, right now, that will cost you little or no money, yet it will bring you closer to your dreams.Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author and spiritual coach that will help you discover life's purpose and incorporate it into a lucrative career. Visit the web site at http://www.dawnfields.com. Be sure to tune in each Thursday for her internet radio show, Your Life's Purpose Interactive Internet Radio Show at 9 p.m. at http://www.dawnfields.com/radioshow.htm. And, while you are at it, sign up for a weekly, motivational and inspirational newsletter, Your Life's Purpose by sending a blank email to dawn@dawnfields.com
and SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Many parenting books advise against eating out with young children. Their short attention span and need to be involved in everything will mean a nightmare for you, they say. They're wrong. We eat out regularly with our two year old and have a wonderful time. Here are a few tips to make sure that you can do it too.First of all, make sure you choose a family-friendly restaurant. Look out for easily accessible (and clean) high chairs, a willingness to warm milk, free bibs and baby food (available at some rest stops and motorway service stations) and entertainment for your child in the form of crayons and paper or a soft play area.In case none of this is available, you need to take your entertainment with you. Crayons and paper, an etch-a-sketch or other drawing board toy and a couple of books are often enough to distract your child from any thoughts of mayhem.Choose your time carefully. Ideally, you should arrive half an hour or so before your child's regular mealtime, so that their food arrives on time. And don't even think about going out when your child is already tired - you'll be setting yourself up for the evening from hell.Children are bad at waiting, so you'll need a food backup in case your order is late. Pack a box of raisins or snack bar. Although you're not supposed to take food from outside into eating establishments, if you politely explain that the alternative is a screaming child, they'll definitely turn a blind eye.When placing your order, ask for your child's meal to be delivered first. That way, you can do any cutting up that's required and start the feeding process early and you'll be free to focus on your own meal when it arrives.Make dining out interesting for your child. Talk about what you're going to order; point out what waiters and waitresses are doing; take a tour of the salad bar; discuss whatever's on the walls. Your child will be pleased to be included and won't even think about having a meltdown.Once you've finished your main meal, ask for your bill at the same time as dessert. You'll want to make a quick getaway once you've demolished a sweet treat, because by then your little darling will be running out of patience.We've been taking our daughter into restaurants before she could sit up. At first she was in a car seat, then a high chair, and now she can sit on a big chair (she's very proud of that!) She can order her own food (with please and thank you) and talk about what's happening. Don't think she's a paragon of virtue, because she's not - she's a very spirited two year old. But she enjoys eating out and generally behaves well enough for us to stay in the restaurant for an hour and a half or more. Since the parenting books claim that half an hour is pushing it, we don't think that's half bad. Why don't you try it, too?Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon worked in publishing for 18 years, writing articles and editing and designing books and magazines. She has also lectured on journalism. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit http://www.doublehdesign.com/

Elkhart-IN -People in the 35-50 age group comprise the largest percentage (40 percent) of individuals who had cosmetic procedures last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In all, more than 8.7 million procedures were performed on people who took action to proactively manage signs of aging or enhance their appearance."Society is certainly entranced with the idea of holding on to a youthful look as long as possible," said Dr. Ronald Downs, of The Centre, P.C in Indiana. " Many people say they feel better when they look better."
Liposuction was the most popular procedure in the 35-50 age group. Nose reshaping was the most popular among persons 19 to 34, who represent 26 percent of the 8.7 million, and eyelid surgery was number one among patients 51 to 64 (24 percent).In all, cosmetic surgery procedures rose 32 percent from 2002 to 2003, according to the ASPS. The number of surgical procedures grew at 5 percent, while minimally invasive procedures jumped 41 percent.
"With the incredible influence the entertainment industry has on public opinion, TV shows such as Extreme Makeover are no doubt significant contributors to this rise in procedures," added Dr. Downs.Botox

Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose for your child will last a lifetime. Whether you're looking for something original that will stand out from the crowd or a traditional name that people will instantly recognize, choosing a name for your new baby is a huge responsibility.It goes without saying that you as the parents must like the name. Names that hold bad associations for you are out (Jeremy was a bore at school, you can't stand Bella in the Tweenies), and if you consider your own name uninteresting, you may wish to choose something more exotic - or vice versa.Think carefully about combinations of first name and surname. Are they compatible? You may like a mixture of an unusual first name with a more familiar surname (Zara Phillips), but be careful about rhyming the two names - Mark Clarke won't thank you for it. Beware initials that could cause hilarity to your child's future friends - Ethan Thomas or Peter Oliver Ogilvie won't be joining in the giggles! Trying to be clever can also cause grief - Poppy Fields or Summer Winters may sound cute at the time, but can eventually grate on everyone's nerves!If she's called Grace, will she turn out to be butter-fingered? Will Maximus grow into a Mr. Puniverse? Is Jordan a boy or a girl? What will Elizabeth grow up as? Lizzie? Beth? Liza? And as for Ashleigh, Ashley, Ashlee, Ashlea and Ashlie - all in circulation at the moment - how is anyone supposed to find a name that is both special and appropriate?Fortunately, sources of inspiration can be found everywhere. You can avoid the throng of Chloes, Emilys, Jacobs and Jacks topping the baby name charts for the past few years, and choose from a huge variety of names collected in specialist books and on the Internet. Some parents prefer biblical names - Rebecca, Abigail, Joshua, Samuel and Joseph are all very popular at the moment. Names inspired by nature include Blossom, Lily or Skye and even Tiger for boys. Place names (Paris, Lamorna), colours (Coral, Ebony), astronomy, music, and sport - all provide a wealth of ideas and choice.Naming twins presents its own set of challenges. You may wish to link the names in some way using the same first letter (Jack and Jill?) or a theme such as Liberty and Faith, or even similar names like Leo and Eleonora. However, you might end up having two very independent children who don't wish to be connected by name as well as birthday. A less obvious connection involves using different names with similar meanings such as Columba and Jemima (both meaning dove), or Jonathan and Matthew (gift of God).For those of us who still haven't decided even when the stork delivers, the arrival of your newborn may give you all the inspiration you need! Christmas babies often appear as Noel or Noelle, Natalie or Natasha, nighttime births produce star inspired names such as Stella, Esther or Sterling, and for thankful parents after a difficult birth, Nathaniel (gift of God), Abigail (father's joy) or Miranda (wonderful) might fit the bill.So whether you plump for Clifford or Condor, Harriet or Harmony, have fun choosing that special name - and with careful thought, your child will grow up bearing a name you can all be proud of!Claire Kolarova is a busy mother, teacher and webmaster of http://www.littlekidsgamesonline.com, where you can also find baby shower game ideas and resources.

From firming the skin, decreasing wrinkles to achieving a healthy glow - we now look towards the healing power of nature for assistance. And, manufacturers have responded to your need in some form or another.Natural and chemicalHowever, most commercial skin care products that advertise as "natural" or offer "botanicals" still contain chemicals, emulsifiers and/or synthetic elements. We encounter these chemicals every day in shampoos, cosmetics, creams and don't even know it. And aside from the skewed advertising, for most people, there is no problem.However, for others these chemicals penetrate the skin and cause skin irritations and for some, even an allergic reaction. Chemicals do have a necessary place in our lives. But with the multitude of chemicals found in our skin and health care products and even in some of the foods we eat, we should and can find healthier alternatives.It is not to say that natural ingredients don't cause allergic reactions and not all natural skin care products fit everyone. But the reality is that anything you apply to your skin ends up inside your body just as if you had ingested it. So, when chosen correctly almost every skin type responds well to natural skin care products.Being Hip versus Being Educated While going "natural" in the beauty field is hip, most customers are still attracted to fruity or flowery scents not found in nature.Yet, this is not the disconcerting issue. What is disturbing is that the beauty industry is becoming two camps. One on the side is the "natural" industry and on the other stands the chemical (mainly traditional skin care products).What is most interesting is that the chemical camp claims the natural ingredients; natural skin care formulas have no factual basis or scientific legitimacy, a kind of quackery.The OxymoronThere is evidence that toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed through the skin into the body's circulation system, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands.The chemicals and toxins found in most commercial skin care products also have a detrimental effect on the environment, although this effect is just beginning to be understood.It is now acknowledged that while these ingredients are in limited amounts; compound these chemicals in almost every product we use and used daily, its allergy overload.Whereas Aromatherapy (essential oils and blends have very powerful properties to promote and maintain healthy, beautiful and youthful skin) have been used for centuries for skin and beauty care. Unfortunately in the 19th century, new chemical processes made it cheaper to produce synthetic versions of these oils. These synthetic oils which are found in many of our skin care products have the fragrance but not the therapeutic qualities.And, essential oils have a proven history of healing and treating many ailments.The Ingredients are What Counts Still not a believer? What about those nicotine patches, it's not the patch that forcing the medication but actually your skin's natural absorbability.Scientific research is discovering that many chemicals in personal care products may actually pose potentially serious long-term health threats when used over an extended period of time, as the skin absorbs like a sponge.We've also come to understand that when we inhale the essential scent molecules, our brains release neuropeptides that can have mood altering effects.Essential oils also have such fine molecular structures, that when mixed with massage oils they easily penetrate the skin. Thus in an aromatherapy treatment the essential oils are able to enhance both your physical and psychological well-being at the same time.They are oxygenating and help transport nutrients to the cells of our body. Without oxygen, nutrients cannot be assimilated; therefore, the oxygenating essential oils can help us maintain our health.Other natural ingredients such as honey, considered the super food of the cells, tissues and organs with many vitamins including Vitamin "K" and "H", Carotene and Folic Acid does offer moisturizing value when applied to the skin.Then there is Carrot Seed Oil, particularly beneficial for dry, mature skin-types and can help to restore elasticity to the skin and could therefore reduce wrinkles. Hemp seed oil is very close to our skin's oil as far as fatty acid structure and is easily absorbed by the skin. The list of benefits in natural ingredients can go on and on.Now again consider the list of chemicals in lotions, creams, shampoos and so on we place on our skin every day.It's a New Car, Bob!There is a lot of hype behind natural. But this is young growing industry is working hard at moving towards a standard of what will be deemed as "natural". Take for example extracting a component from the plant almost always requires a process that is synthetically derived, should then Green Tea Extract not be considered natural?But, perhaps the real reason the chemical camp is so upset is because their consumer is becoming educated, asking questions and now have the freedom of choice!Or maybe they're upset because the natural industry believes in full disclosure in our products. Or maybe, just maybe after you've experienced the feeling of these vital plant substances on your face, you may find it difficult to return to synthetic.Cecilia Ponzi loves skin care products! So, it's no surprise that she co-created http://www.anaturalperspective.com to be "The Place" for hard-to-find 100% natural, quality, holistic skin and health care products.http://www.anaturalperspective.com is a resource for both, the consumer and retailers and spa centers that look to offer signature and quality skin care products. Facial care products for all skin types, anti-wrinkle products too!

The main thing we noticed since having a baby is that time is a more valuable good. We do not have enough time for many things or time is really tight to accomplish certain tasks before the next feeding time has come. Think about feeding. The little one needs to be fed every 3 hours. Take approx. 15 minutes for the preparation, diaper change, cuddling, etc. before the actual feeding. Now take 30 minutes for the actual feeding, burping, holding and interacting with the baby. This really leaves you with approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes (if all goes well, the baby goes to sleep and does not wake up, etc.)So, what can you really in a little more than 2 hours? Think about it. If you have to go somewhere you have to dress the baby, put him in the car seat, pack a diaper bag, etc. and you lose even more time. Shopping 15 minutes away from home suddenly becomes a challenge because your available time is suddenly less than one hour. Did you ever wonder why you see so many Moms speeding on the highway? Well, there you go .....After realizing how much (or better how little) time a new parent has available it can be a good thing to time certain events and use the results to plan your day or week with the timing results. A well planned week with plenty of options to switch items around will reduce the stress level significantly. Always keep in mind that the baby sets the rules and that things take twice as long as they used to do before you had the baby. Planning daily and weekly events gets important in areas like buying food. Usually it does not work very well to push the grocery shopping from Monday morning to Friday afternoon the same week.Writing down the tasks and appointments for the next week every Sunday might be a good option for you if you feel really stressed during the week. Try to combine shopping and other errands you need to run. A 5 minute extension of driving distance to a second store with a 15 minute extension of shopping time can save you a complete trip the next day and take out all the trip preparation from your schedule. Instead of rushing to run errands the next day you could have one trip (which most likely stresses you out anyway) with combined tasks. This tactical approach can result in less wear and tear on yourself and on your baby. It actually can save you money and resources (gasoline, wear and tear on your car, etc.).All parents (including myself) often tend to forget these simple things when it comes to planning the day ahead. Get back some time for yourself and spend it on things you enjoy.About The AuthorChristoph Puetz is a successful Entrepreneur and international book author.Websites operated by Christoph Puetz are Pregnancy Announcements and First Time Pregnancy as well as Marketing Help.This article can be published by anyone as long as the resource box (About the Author) is posted on the website including the links. These links must be clickable.

Once the newness has worn off a little, you will realize that your baby grows very fast. So fast, in fact, that he may need new clothes on the average of every two months during the first year. The sizing of baby clothes just does not apply to most children. For example, my four month old is now wearing 6-12 month clothes. There is no way he will still be in 6-12 month clothes when he is a year old.So, we are buying lots of clothes. Unless you know for sure that you are having more kids of the same gender, it does not make sense to drop a lot of cash on designer baby clothes. Sure, they are cute, but can you really afford to spend $25 on a pair of baby pants at Baby Gap when he will need new ones in a month? If you are like me, no, you can't.How do we make sure our little ones are stylish for less? We shop the sales. We never buy baby clothes at full price from a store like Baby Gap or Osh Kosh. We also go to outlet stores. Our favorite outlet for baby clothes is Carter's.Discount stores also have some good deals on things like one-pieces and baby play clothes that are going to be trashed anyway. You might even check garage sales and local thrift stores for gently used basics. Wash them in hot the first time if the thought of used baby clothes grosses you out. Look on Ebay for deals on special occasion clothing.Finally, remember that everybody will think your baby is cute whether she is wearing K-Mart or Ralph Lauren baby clothes. The most important thing is to keep your baby safe, healthy, and loved. A happy baby is a beautiful baby!It is amazing how many things you can learn about babies... Get more free information by visiting More Articles About Babies

When a couple steps forth with a baby in tow everything in life is stable and normal. People hold open doors, hard shopkeepers "chuck" and go all gooey before catching themselves and generally life is an easy ride. But gentlemen, when he who dares to step-out with a baby in tow (minus the wife) life becomes a series of obstacles that never ceases to surprise.I don't mean a trip to the corner shop, "no siree"! I mean a fully-fledged trip into town, pram, milk bottles and spare nappies to boot! Small things are immediately noticeable, like that hard and mean-looking grocer down the road! When my wife goes in to his establishment he goes all gooey, in fact he doesn't notice me at all; just talks to my wife and son and ignores me as if I was the invisible man. But walking in to his shop with only my son, an apple to buy before the days outing ahead and he became meaner and harder. In fact he noticed me for the first time, glared at me as if I had just stolen the kid and was on the run and said "hope that's not for the little one"! I felt like saying what's it got to do with you mate but ?????on the bus the driver who suggested that I sit near the front instead of upstairs was nearly out of his seat and taking the part of usher before realizing that this was not really in his job description!Somehow some basic human instinct suggests that 'man' is neither capable nor fit to look after a baby! This instinct immediately raises the hairs on the backs of people's necks, images of disaster loom in their minds and unseen forces push them forwards to offer help. They do not see a happy and carefree father pushing his laughing baby along in the pram, they see a harried father who is at his wits end and who is desperate for help. They see a tormented and unwilling baby, screaming and kicking in desperation, a father who is pulling his hair out and desperately looking around for somebody to just show him what to do.Once in town and in the department store I headed straight for the baby changing room! Same routine as always except minus one cog ? the wife! I did what I had done so many times before whilst my wife had sat down to read a magazine. Well, the plan was the same as all those times before, make the milk give my son the bottle, lay him down on the nappy changing "thingy", change his nappy, etc! I did not even get as far as the hot water dispenser! One mum, before I had even entered the room stopped me in my tracks and in a very serious way informed me that the seat belt on the pram was not fastened. One has to be polite in situations like these; I myself planning ahead as always had removed the seat belt just then in preparation for lifting my son out of it once inside the baby room. I did not know of the golden rule that one cannot unfasten the seat belt until well inside closed doors!Inside the room, some mystical being ran around the room telling all of the mums that a 'father-alone' was out and about! Upon entering heads swiveled in my direction, a series of forces pushing bodies towards me and unwanted advice started to escape from mouths. Once past I could hear whisperings, stories being generated and past on; a fictional myth growing in reality to become truth in mind! I shut myself off, warded off the numerous hands that where heading towards my sons cheeks like locusts, barged through with forced smiles and "no thanks", and managed to get to the water machine. I smiled politely to the lady who showed me how to press the button for hot water, grimaced when told that the milk I had made was too hot (how did she know?) and nearly barked when asked "is the wife in not well dear"!These kindly mums, whose husbands obviously knew nothing about how to change a nappy or feed a baby his milk, had my son crying within five minutes. He doesn't like attention in the form of searching hands. He especially doesn't like getting his cheek pinched or chin chucked! I felt like shouting "give him air" or wading in with elbows to rescue him but they were all so well-meaning, these poor mums! Needless to say that as my sons screaming and bawling intensified to maximum pitch the mums turned to me as one as if to say "look at the poor man, doesn't know how to look after his baby".Naturally as they confirmed their belief that I was totally inept and useless, wandering hands gained purpose and started to lift my baby out of the pram to offer him comfort ? my son hates strangers holding him! Well, I made a run for it, I grabbed the baby in mid-air, swiveled the pram around on a sixpence, closed my eyes tight and charged for the door, throwing aside mothers like pins at the bowling alley!I went to the men's toilet to change my son's nappy! At least in the sanctity within, nobody talked to me, no advice was freely given and no insects to ward off. Naturally, looks of sympathy and confusion were issued freely, stories would abound later as husbands rushed to tell their wives about the "poor sad man with the baby" ? but who cares, just don't talk to me about it.I suppose all is not so bad! A new dimension opened up, one that it would be best if my wife knew nothing about! I have never in my life had so many young ladies (ones who wouldn't know what the inside of a baby changing room looked like) surrounding me; albeit they were cooing at my son but ??? something about single men with babies must be an attraction. Anyway, I always enjoyed their reaction when saying loudly, "ah, here's my wife coming now", the desertion was abrupt and complete! I know how to handle that one; it's the rest that bothers me!Author and Webmaster of Seamania. As a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy he has sailed the world for fifteen years. Now living in Taiwan he writes about cultures across the globe and life as he sees it.