Yesterday I went to get my hair cut (yay!). My hairdresser is a lovely young Vietnamese woman who has an eighteen-month old son. We got to talking, of course, and she confided to me how she doesn't bath him every day, but does wash him. She was kind of hesitant about this, but when I told her I approved and we spoke about not washing off the good oils and everything that helps to strengthen the immune system, and that latest research confirms this, she was happy. I encouraged her to go with her own instincts, even if other parents disapproved. Then she said, as a mother, how important it was to think. Ohhhh yes.
She told me how, on a quick visit to the close-by supermarket to pick up some lunch, she'd been standing waiting at the checkout and noticed that the woman in front of her held a sleeping baby whose head flopped from one side to the other as his mother moved. This distressed her, and she wanted to point it out. But "You know how defensive people can be," she said. Nevertheless, she felt compelled to say something. So she commented on the cute baby and did actually say that maybe his head needed support.
Now this is the kind of dilemma I face so often. Her way was a good way, I think, but what to do when I'm taking a walk around the neighbourhood and see a baby facing the sun, trying desperately to hide her eyes and face from its bright rays? Or when a child is obviously underdressed for the weather? Is it my business to comment, or better to speak up?
Any tips or ideas on how to draw attention to harmful practices in an acceptable way would be much appreciated!
