Think Globally
Skip the Kid's Menu
In countries around the world with robust food cultures, including South Korea, kids don't get separate meals from adults. They're expected to wait to eat as a whole family and taught to be able to eat everything on the table. Eating communally, with everyone eating (and enjoying) the same dishes, encourages kids to eat a wide variety of healthy food.
RELATED: Time to Ban the Kid's Menu
Set Goals Just Out of Reach
Chinese teachers and parents say that encouraging kids to work hard toward a goal is like holding an apple just encouragingly out of reach. You have to get the distance just right: Too far away, and the child is too discouraged to even try; too close, and it's not motivating enough. But you've got to have that apple out there.
It's OK for Kids to Fight
This doesn't mean condone a full-out fist fight, but Japanese parents say when kids squabble over a toy, or over which part they want to play in a make-believe game, this sort of conflict is actually good for them because it gives them a chance to experience conflict and making up—all on their own. It's OK to guide them and model good ways to get over a conflict—but don't feel compelled to walk them through everything. Instead, step back and let the kids work it out.
Go Outdoors Every Day
In northern Europe, where the winters are bracingly cold, children are expected to play outdoors every day (and babies are even expected to nap outdoors). In this region, they have a saying that gets them outside, rain or shine: There's no such thing as bad weather—only bad clothing.
Greet People
In cultures from France to Japan, being able to greet people (to say "hello" and "goodbye") is a fundamental expectation, and parents teach this to their children the way we teach the ABCs. (In Japan, they even have greeting exercises to reinforce this important skill.) Think of greetings as a reminder to kids: They're not alone, there are others on this Earth, and they must acknowledge and care for others, too.
Don't Make Kids Share
In a study comparing Guatemalan Mayan and American toddlers, the Guatemalan Mayan kids were indulged—they were allowed to do whatever they wanted, and were never asked to give up a toy to a sibling so they could learn how to share (unlike their American counterparts). Instead they got their own way until they themselves matured enough to share, and, unlike the American older siblings, freely and spontaneously began to model the generous behavior that had been shown to them when they were little.
