Are you one of the many who's terrified of having surgery?
Hundreds are just too scared yet hate being fat... what scares you? And how do you feel about diets - can they ever be as effective and long-lasting? ...
I’ve often thought, as the mother of four sons, that I’d love to adopt a little baby girl. Not that there’s anything missing – just something a daughter would add, that’s all. My sons also think its a great idea – but I’d be turned down flat by any of the adoption authorities – simply because of my age. At 55, I really don’t feel I’m too old. In fact, I reckon older adoptive parents have greater advantages – like experience, confidence, emotional and financial stability – that many younger adoptive mums or dads wouldn’t be able to offer a child. Even a single parent like me. We live in a society which mistakenly worships the fountain of youth – yet older people have wisdom and wealth that’s barely exploited in most families. Sadly, in such a climate, we have forgotten what age has to offer, we have even learned to be suspicious or dismissive of anyone over 50. Time was that children would be brought up within extended families – where there was an automatic assumption that childcare was not an expensive paid and packaged commodity and a burden on the family income, but a delight often assumed by doting aunts and uncles, or grandparents, from both sides of the parental bond. In such communities, children learned invaluable lessons from those who had the time, self belief and self reliance to enjoy their role. Youve also had time to sort your life out, make mistakes, mend your bad habits (like smoking, drinking etc) and you might have even already had your mid-life crisis or marital bust-up - and youre more likely to know how you are going to bring a child up – what your own values are, you’ve had time to build a strong circle of friends, whom you are going to need. Yes, the down side is the first couple of years of sleepless nights, the exhaustion after just one hour’s boisterous play and having all their schoolmates call you Granny. But heck, the heart does not grow old in its capacity for love. Older parents should be welcomed by adoption authorities. They have such a gift to give to a child in need – a home with age and experience as its cornerstone. Sadly,
