Doucleff describes the experience of arriving at Chan Kajaal, a Maya village where she studied parenting techniques. She notes the lack of modern amenities, as well as the pervasive sense of community within the village. Anthropologists have been studying the culture of Chan Kajaal for decades, and research has found that the children in the village, in general, are among the most helpful in the world—”The child will simply see what needs to be done, hop up, and start doing it” (52). Among many Mexican families, this skill—paying attention to what needs done—is referred to as “acomedido” (53). Children with acomedido enjoy contributing, in contrast to more Western-influenced regions, where children often must be coerced into helping. Doucleff chose to visit Chan Kajaal to study how parents instill this skill in their children.

Doucleff and Rosy stayed with Maria, a Maya mother, and her family. Maria explained that teaching acomedido takes years, similar to how reading skills develop over years. Doucleff notes there are three steps to instilling acomedido, and she centers chapter 4 on the first—authentically valuing young children’s contributions. Doucleff refers to this idea as “Toddlers, Inc.