I am enjoying the discussione here about calming babies by talking to them
and walking with them.

I lived in Thailand for 4 years and Taiwan and China for almost 2 years.  I
found it interesting that babies are almost never heard  crying.  These
babies are always in someones arms.  Mothers, fathers, siblings,
grandparents.  There is always a pair of arms available to hold and sooth a
crying baby.  Also, there is no"sexism"... fathers feel very confident and
comfortable sooting their babies and talking to them.   But you never see a
father giving a bottle!

My daughter was born in Thailand and we moved back there when she was 3 and
I had a second child.  All of my Western friends tried to warn me that my
servants would spoil my children.  Well, as an attachment oriented parent,
my servants never got a chjance to spoil the kids- I did it!  However, my
maid told me that she thought that all Westerners disliked children until
she met me and my family.  She said we must have been Thai in a previous
life because we carried, nursed and slept with our children!


Nancy Sherwood-LLLL, IBCLC-- Perth,West Australia (WA)