After the baptism of his baby brother in church, Alex sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, ‘That preacher said he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home, but I want to stay home…

Picture this, after gruesome hours of childbirth; you finally deliver your child. Your nurse takes him away from you to get him all cleaned up. When she comes back, not only does she bring back your baby, but there is also a set of instructions on what to do with him attached! What a simple…

Parents’ main goal is to ensure that their children are healthy and safe. That is why, being primary care providers, they do their best to achieve the objective. But parents cannot be there all day to protect their children. They delegate the responsibility to other caregivers, mostly nannies and teachers. But are our schools safe for…

May 13th 2000 5.40pm I finally enter the doctor’s room with Tony. I assure him that Tony is the father and can stay. He asks about our relationship, which I find uncomfortable. He wants to know whether we are married, how long we have known each other…the nitty gritties… I think he is intruding my…

Where my ancestors came from, when a child got mumps, they would be advised or led to a certain tree and urged to sing certain songs and dance around the tree to cast away the mumps. After which the child will be required to walk back to their home without looking back. It was believed…

By speaking to the child and imitating the child’s sounds, a parent not only teaches the child sound patterns, but encourages taking turns, a process necessary for conversation. Studies have shown that babies whose parents spoke to them more often know many more words by age two. Children who are unable to communicate effectively through…

A MOTHER GOING BACK TO WORK AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE FACES THE INEVITABLE CHALLENGE OF WHO WILL TAKE CAKE OF HER BABY WHILE SHE IS AT WORK. LEAVING ONE’S BABY IN THE HANDS OF ANOTHER PERSON IS NOT AN EASY DECISION. SPECIFICALLY WORRIES RANGE FROM HEALTH AND FEEDING, TO SAFETY AND ABUSE. EVERY PARENT WHO HIRES…

Feeding and bath times are without a doubt some of the most daunting tasks a mother has to face when it comes to toddlers. Babies are much easier to clean compared to a slippery, messy toddler, who will run at the mention of the word ‘bath-time.’ What’s more, once in the tub, they are fussy; soap…

Continued from Issue 36 The Final Chapter Tony proposes to me again at my mother’s house before his parents, my mum, our best friends. It is unbelievable! At the clinic the doctor introduced me to, I get tested again, and my CD4 count and viral load are done before I start the medication. Taking regular…