kristy_571 wrote:Hi winston poo! How is Dianne and the baby? I am sure the little guy must be getting big. Give hugs to Dianne and kisses to the baby. If anyone needs any parenting advice, I'll give it-although I am sure some people are better at that and know more than me. But I am the parent of a 2 1/2 year old little girl-who also happens to be half Indian (like, India indian, not native american). So anyhoo. thanks Winston. You rock.

W: Hi Kristy, well I do have a lot more questions about baby care, but don't have them all memorized and didn't write them down yet. Anyway here's a few:
1. My baby cries and looks upset when I hold him now, even if I hold him with the right technique. Why is that? Do some babies not like their father? Is it cause he's jealous and vying for attention from Dianne? Or maybe he only likes women?
2. When Dianne mixes the infant formula milk, she does it in the bottle by shaking it. The books I read, including the one by Dr. Spock, say that you should mix it in a bowl first before pouring it in. Does it matter?
3. Dianne's family is superstitious and traditional and say that the baby has to be one year old before it can get a haircut. Our doctor said that is mere tradition and there is no scientific reason why it has to be so. His hair it way too long and almost longer than his face now. How can we know if the long hair is annoying the baby or making him uncomfortable? He can't tell us, so how can we know?
This family doesn't think for itself. It only knows how to follow tradition. That's why I don't have much stimulating conversation with them.
How would you handle this?
4. They also think that it's unsafe for the baby to go out at night. I asked a doctor and she said it made no difference as long as the baby doesn't have a fever. I'm not sure whether they think it's bad for the baby's health to go out at night, or that spirits are more likely to harm him at night? But they follow this religiously.
Should I continue insisting to them that they stop living in fear and stop affecting the baby with superstitious beliefs?