9 Parenting Practices That Haven't Caught on in the United States

(Photo: Trees for the Future)

Japanese children as young as 4 ride the subway by themselves. Vietnamese mothers teach their babies to pee on command. These are 2 of 9 parenting practices from around the world that aren't practiced--or at least widely practiced--in the United States. For example, the Kisii people of Kenya avoid eye contact with their babies:

Kisii, or Gussii, moms in Kenya carry their babies everywhere, but they don't indulge a baby's cooing. Rather, when their babies start babbling, moms avert their eyes.

It's likely to sound harsh to a Western sensibility, but within the context of Kisii culture, it makes more sense. Eye contact is an act bestowed with a lot of power. It's like saying, "You're in charge," which isn't the message parents want to send their kids. Researchers say Kisii kids are less attention-seeking as a result.

You can read the entire list at NPR. Do you see any that you think that American parents should adopt?

-via Nag on the Lake