Presents the results of a study of Laotian traditional practices and attitudes toward child rearing. Working in 6 villages in the Houaphan Province of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), the study team employed techniques of participatory rural appraisal (PRA), with its emphasis on anecdotal information, and built teams of villagers and study members to shape the objectives and format of each village visit. Positive aspects of traditional child rearing practices included: a strong sense of cohesiveness, which meant that many other people were available to assist in child caregiving; parental awareness of certain milestones of their children’s development; and a traditional medicine system that offered important health assistance to the villagers. However, parents’ and caregivers’ lack of knowledge about providing adequate care to and enhancing the overall development of their children, as well as the shortage of time to provide such care, had negative effects on child well-being. An effective early childhood and family development (ECFD) project for Laos would include: building a network of ECFD technical resources; non-formal, participatory caregiver training at the village level; strengthening home-based day care; and collaborating with other programs involving health, nutrition, safe motherhood, and sanitation.
