I saw the movie Babies today. It’s a lovely film that looks at the first year or so of life of four babies, one born in Mongolia, one in Namibia, one in Japan, and one in San Francisco. That movie taught me a few things. Some may seem obvious, particularly to someone who has been a parent for more than a dozen years. But when you’re deep in it, you miss some stuff.

So here’s what I learned:

1. What I said before: you miss a lot of stuff when you’re actually parenting. You miss some of the teetering efforts to stand up; some of the dirt your kid eats; some of the bites your child inflicts; and just how much food residue your dog gets from your child (so *that’s* why she’s gotten so fat!).

2. There are some very patient cats in this world.

3. Cows — even young calves — are remarkably careful when they know small children are around. Ditto dogs and goats.

4. Older brothers are a pain in the butt around the world.

5. There really is never a need to use a lint roller on your child. The moms in Namibia whose babies crawl around in the dust are laughing at you.

6. Dad, if you think putting your kid on a trike and thence on a slide might be cool, stop. Don’t do it. Seriously. Don’t. The moms in Mongolia who leave their kids to crawl between the hooves of their livestock are gasping in horror.

7. Fat looks really good on babies.

8. White city dwelling Americans mimicking Native American singing and drumming while singing about Mother Earth with their babies? Moms all over the world are cracking up at how ridiculous you are.

9. The happiest children seemed to have the least stuff; the ones with the most stuff seemed to be the least interesting and more easily frustrated.

10. Moms rock. The differences in how we parent are remarkably small. We all make faces, fwoomp our babies’ tummies, kiss, smile, laugh, scold. The wrapping is different. The love is the same.