A horribly out of place title on a China blog? Of course not, since I am, obviously, referring to the delightful pants sported by Chinese toddlers. Like normal pants. But without the crotch. Underwear? Nope. Nappies? Apparently not required. (These kids must be freezing cold right now. I still see them wandering around dressed like this as the temperature hovers around zero. I hope they're not wearing similar clothes up north where it gets really cold... guess I'll find out in a few weeks.)
Do parents dress their kids like this in other parts of the world? I have no idea. This is one of the (many) sights that people think is weird when they first come to China, though after a while it is such a common, everyday sight that it's barely noticed. But while non-Chinese generally think that this is an odd (but still slightly cute) way to dress toddlers, is it really such a bad idea? Lets consider the practicalities for a moment. Crotchless pants: There are no nappies to buy/change, which must save the parents a small fortune, and countless hours of being up to the elbows in something they'd rather not be. The kids simply 'go' anywhere, usually by a tree, or just a wall if no tree is readily available. On the downside, as already noted, these little 'uns must be freezing when temperatures drop. While I'm not endorsing the use of pavement as a WC, the Chinese approach also negates the situation of the kids having to sit around in snug-fitting poo-pouches all day, which is essentially what they are.
As I understand it, this sartorial approach originates from a belief in traditional Chinese medicine. It has been believed for a long time that 'waste' should be removed from the body as soon as you feel the urge, and that holding onto it is bad for you. The same rule applies to the spitting that China is infamous for: People don't spit because they have a burning desire to offend foreigners. They don't do it because they want to make the place a mess. They do it because it is the done thing. It's been done for a long time, and is actually related to traditional Chinese medicine, steeped in history. So regardless of any governmental guidelines, I suspect the habit will still be with us for a long time. Along with the crotchless pants.
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