The Shhh....Peeing Strategy

Most babies in my part of China don't wear diapers; instead, they wear split pants like this, and their parents hold them over a street grate, toilet, or even just a sidewalk to pee and poop. I wondered how the parents keep the babies from peeing and pooping all over them, and I learned that as soon as babies are born, the parents begin potty training them. When the babies are peeing or whatever, the parents whisper a sound like "shhhhh...." in their ear. After a few months, the babies will only go the bathroom when their parents prompt them to do so by shhhhing in their ear. The babies are considered "potty trained" by about 6 months old.

Babies wear split pants like this even in the winter; they're cute butterballs running around with layers and layers of clothes, but their little butts and penises etc. are hanging out there in the cold. I bet graduating to underwear feels good!

You can imagine what our Chinese students think when we forget and shush them in class using the "sshhhhh...." sound. I've tried to train myself from doing it, but I still slip sometimes.