Child rearing is culture bound in the sense that culture is central in understanding thernpractice oj child rearing in any selling. Theories like contexualist theory and ecologicalrnsystem approach theories take into account the cultural nuances oj child rearing whichrnaffect the development and rearing oj children. This study has set out to understand thernchild rearing patterns and practices oj the Sidama as its Jundamental objective. Tornidentify the Jeatures and patterns oj child rearing and to reach at the findings oJ thisrnstudy different methods were used. A questionnaire with a variety oj items on importantrnaspects oj child rearing practices was prepared to collect data Jrom two-hundred samplernpopulation and Focus Group Discussions as well as interviews were held with variousrnmembers oj the Bultuma kebele (peasant association) which is where the research wasrnconducted.rnThe Jollowing aspects oj child rearing came out clear as among the most vitalrncharacteristics oj child rearing among the Sidama. Child rearing has the goal ojrnensuring conJormity and acceptance oj parental interest. Thus the child rearing practicesrnare Jocused on iii/filling the desires and interests oj parents. Children are generallyrnregarded as assets, with economic as well as social values oj guaranteeing economicrnsecurity or social prestige mainly because they continue lineage and carry the names ojrntheir parents in the Juture. The value that is given to children in the society is also related ...rnwith the parental treatment in which parents demand total obedience and respect fromrnthe children and use different methods including physical punishment to get that. Thern'good' or 'bad' characters oj children are seenJrom this angle oj accepting the authorityrnoj adults with out questioning.rnThere are important and unique childcare systems among the Sidama. For example, toiletrntraining and weaning take place according to the convenience of the mother but not thernchild and they appear to be issues, which are much less eventful in their importance inrnthe relationship oj children and their parents. This is mainly because the baby will not bernJorced to wean unless otherwise a pressing issue like pregnancy occurs. When we comernto toilet training the baby is toilet trained since the time oj inJancy as he/she is helped toeliminate outside of a dipper and as a result the toilet training experience tends to bernsmooth and gradual avoiding tension between parents and children.rnAnother equally important aspect in child rearing among the Sidama, is the fact thatrngood parenting is largely equated with the parents' ability to make sure that the basicrnneeds of children are met. In this regard neighbors and relatives also contribute theirrnshare and mostly their help is more than material. In Sidama culture extended families,rnneighbors and relatives are in the inner circle of the child in which they care, love,rngroom and sometimes punish the child.rnThe Sidama children are not passive subjects in the whole process. They start to assumerndifferent roles and responsibilities as early as .five years, which starts with little housernhold chores and they continue to contribute their share in the economic and socialrnendeavor of the familyrnIn a context where there is little econamic dynamism, class difference and in a contextrnwhere the ways of life in the society are not much differentiated the culture is bound tornhave more weight in defining child rearing than any other factor. The values and beliefsrnabout children, the parental treatment and the childcare systems are similar, over age,rnsex or economic activity of the respondents. Economic status is more or less similar to allrnthe inhabitants of the community under study mainly because of similar economic activityrnthat the population under study is engaged in. As a result of this the child rearingrnpractices of the area under study are also similar except some minor individualrndifferences.