Book Nook: A World of Babies - Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies

When I was a brand-new mom, one of the pediatricians my daughter saw in her first week made a comment that she had recently returned from a stint working abroad in Sweden and was disappointed that she couldn't use her knowledge about co-sleeping and its benefits. This is just one of many cultural differences around the world.

A World of Babies: Imagined Childcare Guides for Eight Societies by Alma Gottlieb and Judy DeLoache  looks at many different issues, like co-sleeping and the best way to talk to babies. It celebrates the diversity that exists in childrearing around the world, but also looks at the issues of poverty, globalization, and violence, and how they affect parents' roles.

The book also includes case studies with specific stories about parenting challenges, and incorporates societies from all over the world. I really enjoyed reading it - it was fun to see the different ways parents and babies interact around the world, and it was refreshing to know that some things that I don't think should be the norm in America aren't the norm in other countries. It's a great way to learn about other cultures, and reflect on our own parenting norms.