how to raise a baby in china...

i paid a visit to my friend Amy's hometown and had my first day experience with a chinese baby and it's mother and family- and boy! it was a handful!!

there were sooooooo many differences that i don't even know where to start... coming from a child development major i feel like i have a good grasp or knowledge of babies and children and it was sometimes hard to not judge them or want to help/teach them about stuff. sometimes you gotta just sit back, observe, learn, and see things from their perspective.

here's just a few observations i noticed about raising Chinese babies:

1. you can never wear TOO many clothes, even when it's 90 degrees outside, if they baby isn't wearing enough clothes- he/she might get sick! (definitely opposite mindset of America wear people wear less clothes when it's hot!)

2. babies should not stand on your lap with you holding them until they are older- like 1 years old... until then the baby should only sit on your lap or lay down

3. babies don't have any toys because they think they don't know how to play with it :(

4. when a baby cries, it is because he/she is hungry... even if he/she just ate or doesn't actually drink- he/she is still hungry.

5. grandmothers take care of the newborn babies more than the mothers do and grandmothers also take care over the mothers for a month after they delivered the baby because they should rest and not do anything for a month- a month of pure relaxation and laying in bed... pretty much!

6. babies wear split pants and pee at the sound of a whistle... usually. but sometimes they wear china diapers that are like a large adult pad tucked into a bungee string wrapped around their waist... it's not very secure- therefore it's easy to get pee-ed on... like i did. haha

7. when babies grow older into toddlers, preschoolers and then into small children- usually you might find them wandering about without much supervision or guidance- they usually can do whatever they like until they start school and then they are whipped into shape. haha

8. babies (regardless of gender) usually shave their heads shortly after they are born so that their hair will grow in "thicker" and have more hair... so the little girl sometimes looks like a little boy.

9. 100 days after the baby was born is a big celebration- kind of like the 1 year old birthday in america :)

despite the differences, babies are still babies everywhere in the world (which i am SUPER excited to see that movie about the babies documentary out there hehe) and they are special and unique and CUTE little gifts of life. :)

a couple snapshots of amy's nieces <3

amy's 4 day old niece! she makes me slightly hot in this picture.

amy's 4 month old niece... she still makes me feel hot haha


oh p.s. her mom made scrumptious chinese food but of course told me to eat more and more and more.. and that is why i have a 3 month food baby now :)