As Americans, our family is used to sitting on the floor. We play on the floor at home, put our bags on the ground when we go to restaurants to eat, and even plunk ourselves down on the airport carpet while we wait to board the airplane. In short, we don't hesitate to sit on floors.

The Chinese have a definite aversion to sitting on the floor. Granted, the floors in China may be dirtier than those in America, but the aversion is more cultural than hygienic. Socially, only beggars and rubbish collectors sit on the ground. Most others, even if tired, would rather squat than sit on the floor.

I remember one time when Bryan and I took our son to visit my grandmother in Shanghai. She has beautifully waxed hardwood floors in her apartment. Being used to playing on the ground, Landon promptly plopped himself down on the floor. Everyone around us shrieked. "No! Don't sit on the floor. It is dirty!" Bryan immediately responded, "It's OK. He can play on the floor." To lend our son more support, Bryan made an exaggerated gesture and sat down next to him. The two of them crawled on their hands and knees all over the apartment. When they got up, both of them had patches of wax all over their bodies. All my relatives started shaking their heads at the sight of two dirty "boys." But the two of them had a great time. Bryan smiled, "We can easily wash our clothes and take a bath to be clean again!"

Another time, Bryan took Landon to a nearby park to play. It was early fall, and the weather was absolutely beautiful. Landon loves to run on the grass, so the two of them took off their shoes and started playing on the grass. They would run on and off the grass, and chase each other all over the park. The Chinese bystanders gawked at them; a few old ladies even told Bryan not to go bare-foot because the ground was too dirty. When they got home, they were not allowed to walk in the house until their feet were wiped clean to the satisfaction of our nanny.

I often hear the Chinese comment, "Laowai kids are not afraid of getting dirty!

Let Them Get Dirty!

Landon's kindergarten just hired a male PE teacher last year. Unlike the traditional female teachers, this new male teacher has many unorthodox ways of teaching physical education. During one of his demonstration classes, he asked a whole group of five-year-olds to crawl on their bellies in a race across the auditorium. At first, a few girls wouldn't do it because they didn't want to get their clothes dirty. The male teacher said to them, "Look at my pants; they are brand new, too. I paid a few hundred RMB for these Adidas training pants. But I crawl in them. Don't be afraid to dirty your clothes because they can easily be washed." The next round of the race, everyone participated.

After the demonstration class, the school principal asked the parent and teacher representatives what we thought of the new teacher. The older teacher was hesitant about his "get dirty" style. She was concerned, quite rightly, that many grandparents who are the primary caretakers of the children would not agree with his style. But a few of the parent representatives, especially those who have sons, whole-heartedly supported his teaching philosophy. We want our kids to push their limits, get dirty, and be manlier!

(selected from 101 Stories for Foreigners to Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis, published by China Intercontinental Press in 2012)