WELCOME MOTHERS, MOTHERS -TO-BE, BABIES & INFANTS
For sailing mothers and mothers-to-be, this may be the place to look for baby
things, toddler's clothes, maternity wear, all the clutter you need for baby's first
year. Where to buy locally. Who has second-hand things in good condition to pass
on?
Want to know how other mothers manage? Ask here!
Like to help other new mothers avoid some of the problems you discovered the hard
way? Share your knowledge here.
It can be hard for a cruising first time mother ( or sixth time, come to that ) away from the usual sources of help and
advice.
Want to clear unused children's books, toys and clothes out of the lockers but not sure who is around who would like
them?
Put them on offer here (to sell, give away, exchange trade or barter) and say where you are and
perhaps readers who are within easy reach of you will get in touch. Cruisers may be able to help each other by acting as
go-betweens.
Internet shopping is proving a boon to many cruising
folk. It provides a means
of seeing what's available, buying at competitive prices and getting the goods,
almost anywhere in the world, wherever you happen to be when you want or need
them. You may like to tell us about one or more online stores which cater for
babies. If you like, you can do that, right now (assuming you are connected to the Internet as
you read this), without leaving this page. All you have to do is click on our
address and tell us all about it, or anything else you'd like to express!
We'll be interested to hear what you
think of what's on offer out there. Drop us a line and let us know if you've
found any useful services for
travelling parents. If you have young children to educate, you may be finding some
useful help on the WorldWideWeb. We'd be very interested to hear from parents who
are already using any of the items on offer and finding them helpful
and good value for money.
Do let us know what you think of places you physically visit too, in terms
of facilities for parents with young children, it will be really helpful to
other readers.
Some of us were sitting in the cockpit, a while ago, talking about having babies while
traveling aboard a boat.
It occurred to us, as we are sitting in the Caribbean at the moment, that where you have your baby may affect its whole
life. We set to wondering what the advantages, and disadvantages of being born in different places might be. We
also wondered whether there might be financial problems or advantages associated
with the birth confinement.
We are told, for example, that anyone having a baby
in South Carolina is given free health care and confinement, regardless of their
place of origin or any other consideration and the baby gets to be a US citizen
into the bargain! Have any of our readers had a baby there, although not a
resident or citizen of America?
Anyone with any information on any place they have had a baby, other than their own country of
origin?
Was it a planned move or an accident of fate? Where would you have your
baby if you could pick any place on earth, and why? Tell us what you think!
 David
Emsley, from
Bumbury in Western Australia and his wife Deborah, from Dungardan, Co.Waterford
in Ireland, whose twins Luke and Nicole were born on the 13th of June 2000
in St.Martin, in the French West Indies, told us that the costs of the
confinement were covered by the European reciprocal agreement, all French
territories being considered as provinces of France, rather than separate
countries.
The couple were full of praise for the treatment Deborah received
before, during and after the birth.
Their three-year-old daughter, Julie, was born in Gambia, in West Africa and 1½-year-old
Roxanne was born in Trinidad. Now that's what we'd call a truly international
family! We were all making preparation to leave for Europe, sailing out in
company, when this picture was taken in the saloon of our floating headquarters.
The Emsleys were heading for Ireland on a visit
to Deborah's family and we were heading for the Azores.
We hope we don't need to remind readers who live at sea
that, if
they can possibly help live-aboard families with young children, just in
passing, it will doubtless be appreciated - toys, outgrown kids' clothes
in reasonable condition, anything which might be handy - you may be sure
that they, in turn will pass those things on, whether to other live-aboard
families or families ashore.
It can be tough, managing the little extras that make life
easier, on a
cruiser's budget. It can also be frustrating, knowing that cruisers
are gathering useful items to give to local families ashore when some
fellow cruisers probably need them at least as much!
We all need to look after each other - we too are a
community, albeit a
mobile one, and many cruisers are too proud to ask for a share of the
items being collected. Fathers of growing families may also
appreciate offers of casual work. There are wonderful people around, who
will help without needing to be reminded to, let's all try to make sure we
can be counted amongst them.
One lovely story we can share with you is that of the kindness of a total
stranger...Realising that a young couple with two children, living aboard
a boat anchored near his own, was struggling to make ends meet, he waited
until they had gone ashore in their dinghy and then went over to their
boat. This kindly man left a sealed plastic-covered package in their cockpit. Inside the package was a gift of several cans of
food, a big bag
of rice, some toys, including a set of good quality children's
inter-locking building bricks which a charter guests' offspring had
declined to take with them after a holiday aboard, various t-shirts
he had been given by companies keen to promote their products, a packet of
chocolate chip cookies and an envelope containing US$50.
How do we know all this? We were also neighbours of both parties but knew
only the young family. When we saw him approach their boat in their
absence, we are embarrassed to admit that we feared his intentions might
be dishonourable, since we knew he had been sitting in his cockpit when
they left and must, surely, have seen them go.
We waved at him wildly,
gesticulating in the direction of the shore to indicate that the family
were not in and to let him know that he had been spotted. He deposited a
large package from his dinghy into their cockpit and then came over to our
boat. He explained that he had wanted to give the couple some things he
didn't need but didn't want to offend or embarrass them, or himself.
When
we told him we had feared he might be planning to burgle the couple in
their absence we all enjoyed a laugh at how easily wrong conclusions
can be reached. He swore us to secrecy on the subject of whence the package had come,
should the couple enquire, and we gave him our word which, naturally, we
kept.
The family duly returned and found the package. A short while later they
came over to us to ask if we had left the package aboard and, when we said
we had not, they told us all about the contents of their surprise package.
Rarely have we seen anyone as excited and grateful as they were - their
finances had reached an all-time low, a bank transfer had failed to
materialize and the envelope full of cash had made them suddenly solvent again.
The children were thrilled by the toys and other
goodies, it was as though
Christmas had suddenly cropped up in mid-summer! They probably still
wonder, to this day, who their benefactor was. Our lips are sealed.
It taught us several things, not least the amount of pleasure and
assistance one can give to those who are living a lean time, by quietly
leaving an anonymous gift when one is enjoying good times. To give without
wishing to be thanked or to enjoy the sight of the recipients'
appreciation is to be truly generous.
We'd love to hear from you and, in the
meantime, you may like to have some fun on our Quizzicles
pages or browse The Finer
Arts, perhaps.
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