Snarsisians value family, but due to their reproducing involving egg laying their traditions vary differently from many other cultures.
Childbirth & Midwives
Due to Snarsisians having a shorter internal gestation period and giving birth to eggs that incubate the offspring until they are ready to hatch, there is more emphasis on the caring of eggs than on the egglaying aspect.
People who care for eggs, which is a predominantly female-filled role, are called Egg Carers and are often well-trained in caring for eggs and telling when the egg may be damaged or sick.
In most cases, eggs will be kept at medical facilities until they hatch with professional Egg carers looking over them and monitoring their health. The parents will often spend at least part of their time watching over the egg at the facility but this is only possible for some.
Some people will lay and care for their eggs at home, similar to the practice of homebirths in other cultures, but this is uncommon and often requires more money and risk.
Egglaying, the snarsisian equivalent of childbirth, is less intense and less dangerous than other species of childbirth with the most common danger being the egg getting stuck and becoming egg-bound.
Infants
A few months after the eggs are laid, they are ready to hatch. Often times the infant inside will be able to start breaking out of the egg using their claws and a special egg tooth located on the end of their nose. Oftentimes, parents, or more modernly, medical professionals will help the infant break out of the egg when the time comes.
A few days after the birth the egg tooth will fall off, occasionally it will not and parents can choose to keep it or for it to be filed off.
Infants often require a lot of care, with one or both parents often staying home for a while to take care of the new baby. Nannies or Grandparents may also be tasked with taking care of infants.
Children and Approaches to Education
Snarsisian Children are often educated so that they are prepared for anything that life throws at them. This includes both at-home education and more formal school education.
Snarsisian Children will often learn certain skills from their parents, often survival and hobby skills. They will also receive a more formal education by going to either public or private schools where they will learn skills like reading and writing.
Snarsisan schools are often small with smaller classrooms that cater to a specific neighborhood. Cities will often hold larger gatherings that include all the schools to encourage mingling between the children.
Rituals & Traditions
Keepsakes
Parents will often keep keepsakes from the child’s birth like a piece of the eggshell or the child’s egg tooth. These pieces -especially the eggshells- may be carved into sentimental jewelry or heirlooms.
Egg Swaddling
Eggs are often swaddled in blankets, to keep them warm and stop the shell from being easily scratched. This allows the egg to be cared for without needing to be brooded over.
The egg may also be kept in an egg incubation chamber that can keep the egg at a set temperature. The egg with often still be swaddled while in the incubator.
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