Today was pretty warm and sunny. I had my 1 yr old son in the stroller with no socks on. As usual, people always stare at foreign children which doesn't bother me anymore. But also, as usual, they feel the need to comment on his clothes... not enough clothes on, leng bu leng, where is his hat... it's too windy.

I'm thinking... it's like 85 degrees out and sunny... the kids don't need to be wearing 3 shirts and 2 pants anymore. It's like having a different mother-in-law everyday. They absolutely are unable to mind their own business when it comes to other peoples' children.

I have always wondered what the statistics are for SIDS here. Seeing how they tend to overdress infants. I have seen many a scarlet faced baby, wrapped in a blanket on a warm day.

It's not just the kiddies. I saw a few people in wooley jumpers today and one woman wearing long-johns.

Most of them look dimwitted and I can imagine the confusion in the morning when it comes to getting dressed. Others look like they don't own a wardrobe and so have to constantly wear every item of clothing they posses.

They must be absolutely rank under there on a hot summers day.

@tigertiger, SIDS has nothing to do with clothes, but heatstroke does.

@goldie122 It comes down to cultural differences, and deep-rooted traditions. Easier said than done, but brush it off, it's your kid not theirs.

Over wrapping babies, especially in the winter, does contribute to SIDS, especially if they are already sick and definitely if they have a fever.

It's just annoying to me, as if they know more about dressing children. It's ridiculous how many times I've seen kids, babies wearing sweaters and layers outside as I sweat.

It must be annoying for a Western parent, I can only imagine. Keep in mind, though, that this is cultural.

@goldie122 Wow, I didn't know that, thanks for the info! This prompted me to do a quick search, and I'm a bit ashamed that I told tigertiger he/she was wrong, especially after what I found out:

Most deaths due to SIDS occur between 2 and 4 months of age, and incidence increases during cold weather. African-American infants are twice as likely and Native American infants are about three times more likely to die of SIDS than caucasian infants. More boys than girls fall victim to SIDS.

Other potential risk factors include:

smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy
poor prenatal care
prematurity or low birth weight
mothers younger than 20
tobacco smoke exposure following birth
overheating from excessive sleepwear and bedding
stomach sleeping

That's why Chinese kids are always sick. I see kids for whole Summers with running noses and coughing.

The sweat lowers the core temperature and thus makes you prone to getting sick.

It's maybe cultural, but it's retarded. I actually once got fired for refusing to let my students put on 5 layers of clothes in hot May weather.

I had to sign a contract appendix to protect the kids and keep them healthy, but when retarded superstitious believes come into play, the brain switches off, and contracts are voided. Protecting from getting sick sure, but not if means dressing less....lol

Good thing is we had parent that were in the military and one hobby athlete, who disagreed with the dumb-clothing layer retardation.

I have no empathy for the dumb parents but I feel bad for the kids.

When people come to us and our kid, and give us a speech, I usually tell them, that my kid is able to be active while their kids are lying there like a vegetable, unable to move in the heat.

I tell them why we do this, they pretend to care, I tell them this way they won't get sick that often, are happier and more responsive, they sweat less and thus keep hydrated much better, as you can see by the skin of the kid.

They usually nod, think I am crazy and leave laughing, at how stupid and silly we are, and strafe of to the next hospital to buy Chinese [useless] flu medz for 600RMB.

Ah,.... we foreign devils,....aren't we a funny bunch...lol

To be fair, 1.5 billion Chinese must be doing something right. That's 1.5 billion people who made it to adulthood.

@mickey
Hell, yeah! they get laid a lot,....that's for sure!

I am pretty sure that there is no official numbers, in China about this, because it would present them with a feather on their cap, about China's SIDS prevention.

It must be huge numbers, the two main risk factors
-smoking

-over dressing /over heating

Are huge in China, so I am afraid that SIDS is, too. So if China wouldn't be Super-Wonderland, I would say it could be rather huge numbers.