Stop those night nursings right away. In fact, babies and children are raised differently all around the world and seem to thrive regardless. Kung San parents practice sitting, walking and standing with their babies to make sure their babies acquire these skills as quickly as possible. Achenese children are carried until they are around five years old. Gusil mothers do not kiss or cuddle their babies.
Japanese mothers work hard to foster infant and child dependence.
Mothers in the United States are told to do all they can to move their babies toward independence. Some babies adapt well to the terms of their culture but others do not. Our Babies, Ourselves by Meredith Small examines both the cultural biases reflected in parenting practices and the underlying biological needs of infants. Small is a member of a new academic field called ethnopediatrics. Ethno means the study of cultures and how they compare to each other.