[Eric:] ChaNa, did your instructor like the categories you chose to explore with Dr. T? How about your questions? Were they all right?
[ChaNa:] Yes, I’m all set for the interview! I’ll be making my process recording this week. I am really excited to hear what he has to say. I must remember to ask open-ended questions. Thanks for asking, Eric.
We’ve been talking about transcultural nursing across the lifespan and it reminded me of my sister and her travels. You may remember that I told you she has been to many countries all over the world? This week at work, I was talking to a young mother about potty training her child and I recalled one of the pictures that my sister had sent. It was of a little child wearing “split pants.” She said that in China, especially in the country side, babies and toddlers don’t necessarily wear diapers! Don’t you think that sounds really strange? She said there are several reasons for this. One is they can’t afford disposable diapers, like we are accustomed to buying in the United States. Also, cloth diapers are difficult to wash. The typical home doesn’t have an automatic washer or dryer.[Eric:] : It sounds strange to us, but I’m sure that if we described how much money we spend on disposable diapers or laundering cloth diapers, they would think we were strange, too!
For centuries it has been more convenient for the parents to allow their children to do their toileting out in the yard or over a little potty. It is faster and easier to clean up. I posted this in the discussion and a student who is originally from China said she was aware of this practice. She said how surprised she was that no one in her neighborhood hangs their laundry outside to dry. The homes don’t even have clotheslines! Everyone either has a dryer at home or uses one at the laundromat. I admit that I had never considered that how clothes get clean and dried could be so different in other countries.
I’m learning much in this class. It has really made me think that maybe my “norm” is not the norm for others in the world. There is more than one way to do something the right way.
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