6 Parenting Tips from Around the World That Only Sound Crazy to Americans

A big point of discussion among parents is when we should let our children ride public transportation by themselves. The age varies by family, but the general consensus is some time around 11. That’s five years too late, according to many parents in Japan, where children as young as 6 are expected to ride the rails solo. In fact, some schools even require it.

To help keep moms and dads from worrying, there are certain safeguards in place, including tracking devices so parents can keep up with their kid’s whereabouts, and color-coded flaps on backpacks so strangers are aware that the child is heading to school. But perhaps the greatest reason for nervous parents to exhale? Japan’s relatively low crime rate.

Men in the Aka tribe in central Africa have no problem pulling their weight at home. Though women are considered the primary caregivers, when moms leave to hunt or choose their next camp spot, dads happily assume household duties, including childcare. They’ll even offer their nipple to a crying baby if mom is away. According to Barry Hewlett, an American anthropologist who lived with the tribe, Aka men either hold or stay within easy reach of their babes a whopping 47 percent of the time—more than fathers in any other cultural group, anywhere. Is it any wonder Hewlett proclaimed the Aka the “best fathers in the world”?

Letting your toddler run around the house without a diaper is usually a weekend-only adventure in American potty training. If the accidents are too much to handle—or baby hasn’t gotten the hang of using the toilet yet—then it’s usually back to pull-ups. Not so in rural parts of China and India, where kids as young as 6 months are encouraged to go sans dipe 24/7. Instead, little ones often wear special pants with a generous opening in the crotch, called kai dang ku, which allows them to empty their bladders whenever and wherever the mood strikes.

Here’s how it works: Typically, if a caregiver spots a baby exhibiting some need-to-go cues (often involving touching or pulling on the genitals), he or she will help the baby squat, then whistle or make a hissing sound to help move things along. The unusual process is rooted in a method called elimination communication, which teaches babies to go potty on cue when they hear a certain repetitive sound.

Sure, the on-the-go bathroom breaks may mean sidestepping puddles and piles on the ground, but this au natural method also gets children using the toilet long before their U.S. counterparts. And—big bonus—there’s no mountain of disposable diapers clogging up landfills.

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Feel guilty because you haven’t gotten that 7:30 p.m. bedtime down pat yet? Consider parents in Spain, who often tuck in their little ones around 10 p.m. or later. The Spanish famously observe a siesta in the middle of the day, where people will leave the office to have lunch or a rest at home, before reporting back to work. As a result, they may not clock out until 8 p.m. or so, and they would much rather keep their children up later to enjoy some family time in the evening than put them down for the sake of an early-to-bed, early-to-rise snoozefest.

The tradition often continues when the kids are in school. According to a small study conducted by Spanish researchers in 2011, children there log a full eight hours of sleep, but 69 percent say they turned in after 11 p.m. at least four nights a week. But being a night owl may not be doing them any favors: Researchers found evidence that the late bedtimes hampered the kids’ academic performance at school. Spanish legislators, meanwhile, continue to debate the merits of the siesta.

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Norway isn’t known for its warm climate, so naturally, kids there are expected to learn early on how to brave the chilly weather. Children as young as 1 are often bundled up, taken outside, and spend hours eating, playing, and even napping in the fresh—but very cold—air. Some daycares and preschools will only take kids inside if the temperature dips well below the freezing mark.

Embracing the cold is also important to Mayan parents in Central America. Because of the sweltering heat, babies often struggle with heat rashes. To calm the rash as well as any fussiness, infants are often bathed in ice-cold water. (Yep, moms expect to hear lots of screams.)

German babies may not be in kindergarten yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re not ready to spend a night or three at a sleep-away camp. In fact, a three-night stay at an overnight camp is a springtime tradition for any child aged 3 and a half or older. Campers are whisked away to a rural setting—think a farm or forest—where they play freely outside, carving wood with knives, swimming in lakes, and learning important life skills, like dressing and feeding themselves. The sojourn, called Kitafahrten, encourages kids to become more independent, but also, let’s be honest, gives moms and dads a little break.