What is "normal" for a toddler living in China?

I sometimes wonder what other Western babies and moms experiences are or how they do life.  I suppose I don't have to worry about all the comparisons that would be around me, but sometimes I just don't know how "normal" my little man is by Chinese or Western standards.

My friends have a habit of when they give their baby a snack, to share whatever they're giving to all the other babies / toddlers.  My little dude loves this.  If I try to give him Cheerios, he may put them in his mouth, but only to spit them out later.  If one of the moms give him something, he gobbles it up.  I've tried having similar things that they have, but he seems to always enjoy THEIR food much more than whatever I have. 

These snacks are some of his favorites. 

At first it seemed a bit strange.  They'd offer him a bite of their cucumber, really sugary snacks, a part of their savory bun, etc.  After a while, I've come to just realize that they're not only offering snacks, but perhaps a bit of friendship. So we go with it.  He's happy enough to have a bite of someone else's meat bun, bread, etc. and it's like a mutal snack time (although he sure does get his fill before he goes out!) The other babies love his sippy cup.  Sometimes they snatch it and start drinking from it.  It's actually taught him that you can drink from it (not just play with it!). 

All this is lovely, but then when we're around babies and moms that we don't know and they're eating... guess who walks over and points at their food!  I try to divert him, I try to whip out snacks and his juice, but it's usually too late.  The moms are delighted to share and give him big chunks of whatever their kids are eating.  It's all a bit embarrassing and I'm trying to refuse their snack, my DS's fussing, he's pushing away whatever I have and in the end, he ends up with the treat (a HUGE amount) in his hand.  Now I just don't know if this is normal or not!  Do other Western toddlers do this?  I don't think a lot of Chinese toddlers would be quite so forward.  *Sigh*

Learning to share and play together:)

I'm aware that development is different for all kids.  Some babies are speaking.  My little man likes to say "Dad" (in Chinese) and he's really trying to say "car."  Car would actually be one of his clearest English words.  He can say "give" in Chinese and is really not fussed about saying "Mom" in either language!  I'm still waiting for that and find it slightly amusing that he loves to say car, but no interest in saying Mom. 

We are trying to learn Chinese while my DS assimilates two languages!  Yikes!  And I thought it was hard for us!  The Chinese moms and grandma's try to help him say "Mom" and a whole bunch of other words.  Today they were saying "Ti" for "kick" while I was walking around saying "kick, kick, kick."  If you say it fast, it sounds quite similar so I think they just thought I was speaking Wonky Chinese and kept trying to correct me.  It was pretty funny. 

Play time and language practice for both of us!

Sometimes I get people asking me if he really knows his name (his Chinese name is Ning Ning).  For example, the other day someone called and called him and he just doesn't respond (until maybe the last time).  Yes, he has two names and if you call his Chinese name enough, he'll look up.  They just aren't sure what to do about this, but then they really can't pronounce his name.  So they are really trying to help him learn his Chinese name.  I have a feeling that sometimes he just blocks out people and ignores them.  I think a person would need to at times if I got as much attention, poking and jabbing as he gets.

People want to hold him, help him walk, you name it:)  Sometimes he goes with it (note him holding onto the grandpa's hand.) And sometimes he just refuses (he wasn't about to let his little friend hold his hand).

I think that perhaps he's on the normal path?  Well at least for a toddler trying to assimilate two languages.

I got him weighed the other day.

He was 10.5 kg / 23 lbs at about 1 year. 2 weeks.

He's on the 50% mark, which he's been pretty consistently following.  Chinese people use to call him "fat," but suddenly, they try to tell me how skinny he is (and how cold he is).  But then they feel his leg muscles and will regularly tell me what strong muscles he has.  Their babies don't do a lot of crawling or moving around so in general so they don't have very developed muslces yet.  (Remember they think that the the floor is dirty so they don't let their babies lie or play on the floor.  Either a parent, aunt, uncle or a grandparent holds the babies and toddlers all day.)  They think it's very strange that my DS knows how to play on his own, that he is more independent than they other toddlers are and that he has strong muslces.  I'm sure that they'd be shocked to see him playing in my kitchen!  I attribute some of his thinness to the fact that perhaps he's walking and moving more than their littles ones do and well, I think some of the thin and fat comments just depend on the mood of the day!

Note the baby that's being held.  

I think his development in that area would probably be "normal" for a Western baby.  Just very "abnormal" for babies over here!

I enjoy seeing the differences and I still try to make jokes about things like "yes, my son wears diapers, but hey, he can slide down slides just fine and doesn't get too cold!"  Imagine little ones with split pants on slides, not only don't they slide down, but their little rears would get cold!  I like to try to keep a sense of humour and although I don't quite know what's "normal" I try to read the books (Toddler Taming), check out the web (babycentre) we are teaching him, praying for him and are trusting God that in every step, he will continue to guide us in parenting and just in doing life in China.

Good thing he wears diapers and normal shorts, because he loves slides.

Thinking about you all.  Christina