This book examines parenting practices around the world, to
place into a better context our own parenting practices and question why we
make the parenting decisions we make.
Mei-Ling is a mother and journalist from Michigan but living in
Argentina. She has birth siblings in
Taiwan and a birth sister raised in Switzerland as well as a sister-in-law from
Korea. When she first discovered she was
going to be a mother, her journalistic instincts started her quest into this
research on parenting.
Each chapter examines a topic from a different cultural
perspective and her personal experience.
She also includes an additional tidbit from another perspective.
The first chapter questions her experience in Argentina
watching parents allow their children to stay up quite late. She notes that most parents in Argentina are
not early risers, and tend to drop their children off at daycare on their own
time. Kids are typically welcome at
events. She called the National Sleep
Foundation in Washington D.C. and Jim McKenna of the Mother-Baby Behavioral
Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame to get additional perspectives. She ends her chapter with a tidbit about
sleeping arrangements in a few other cultures.
The second chapter explores French techniques used to help
their children eat healthy food. The
school menus she examined sound amazing and students at the school she explored
are told they should try everything twice. There is no difference between adult and kids
meals. She discusses additional
techniques used in France and America and the importance of taking time to
unplug and enjoy your relationship with your food and the people with whom you
are sharing it. She ends with a tidbit
about different foods children eat around the world from kimchi to coffee.
The third chapter explores the benefits of carrying babies
versus using strollers. She looks to
Kenyan mothers as an example of people that carry their children as their roads
often aren’t convenient for stroller use anyway. She explores bonding and response to
children’s needs. She looked at
different methods cultures used to carry the infants. She mentions the studies about the benefits
of vestibular stimulation versus “bucket time.”
She shares the story of her attempts to go stroller-less on a trip from
Argentina to Chicago with her nearly two-year old daughter. She ends with a tidbit about some interesting
products offered to parents in Japan.
The fourth chapter explores the challenges of potty training
and looks to the Chinese techniques of elimination training using a special
kind of pants. Chinese parents often
have their children potty trained earlier than American parents, but as
disposable diapers become more popular worldwide, that is not really the case
anymore. She ends with a tidbit sharing
the Argentinian secret to preventing diaper rash.
The fifth chapter looks to some of the best fathers around
the world. She explores the Aka and
others. She ends with a tidbit about
paternal leave. The sixth chapter
examines keeping family close through the lens of Arab families and the
challenges of balancing family ties with the independence and privacy cherished
by many American families. She ends with
a personal tidbit about her experience as an adoptee and adoption views around
the world. The seventh chapter explores
the ways pregnancy is treated around the world.
She explored Tibetan beliefs and how religion can play an integral part
in pregnancy. She includes her personal
experience with miscarriage in this chapter as well.
In the eighth chapter, she explores how Japanese parents let
their children fight. Rather than
butting in and solving problems for their children, she observes the way
children are encouraged to create a community by solving the problems
together. Teachers and parents step in
to prevent injury, but realize the children can do an excellent job of managing
each other. She ends with a tidbit about
the different stories cultures tell to scare their children into behaving. Chapter nine is another example of parents
standing back, this time giving them space to play on their own. Most parents recognize the importance of play
and many understand there is bonding and learning occurring when parents play
with their kids but there are times and spaces when it’s better to give kids
room to play on their own or with their friends as they see fit. She also discusses the way children may learn
from older playmates. She ends with a
tidbit about some historic toys.
Chapter ten is a discussion of why Mayans expect their
children to work and the sense of responsibility children can experience from
chores. She ends with a tidbit about the
talents of children around the world.
The final chapter discusses schooling in Asia. She discusses the studies about the
stereotype about Asian scholastic success and the stress on achievement. She ends with a study of 15 year olds around
the world ranking reading, math and science success.
This book explores many topics and many parts of the world,
offering a personal perspective on most topics as well. She talks to real people rather than relying
solely on studies to gain a better understanding of the reasons behind the
techniques. If you are interested in
understanding where some of our practices come from or why others may parent a
little differently, this is a great book.
And it helps remind you not to judge others for their parenting
practices because they may have a different culture than your own.
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