Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior Child upbringing has always been a topic of conflict. Especially in the late-modern society where terms such as ‘curling children’ and ‘helicopter parents’ are often used in the media, to describe overly spoiled children and parents who are overly protective towards their children. There are loads of discussions about if one should hover over their children to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing while having gotten too soft when it comes to standing one’s ground regarding possible consequences, or if children should have a stricter upbringing with less say in any matter. Chinese Amy Chua, who is resided in America where she is a professor at Yale Law School, discusses this subject in her article “Why …show more content…
Which supports her argument later on that nothing is fun until you are good at it. In her article she states, “Chinese parents can get away with things Western parents can’t” –because of the stereotypes regarding child upbringing, Chinese parents have got a bigger room for raising their children as they see fit without being judged she writes that Chinese parents can tell their children that they need to lose some weight if they see fit, but Western parents have to tip-toe around the subject to prevent their child getting a negative self-image. But in her opinion it does not do the children any good to treat the subject ‘health’ as a taboo, because they still end up in therapy for eating disorders …show more content…
But the possible consequences of adapting a Chinese upbringing is that the children will become overachievers, and that they will grow up with the mind-set that nothing is ever good enough. Amy Chua mentioned some of the things her daughters were never allowed to do which were things such as having a play-date, attending a sleepover, choosing their own extracurricular activities and get any grade less than an A. The first three things are all something that shapes a person. Having play-dates and attending sleepovers credits one with skills needed socially. Not being able to choose their own extracurricular can end up in resentment towards the parents because one’s individual growth mentally is being hindered. Chua ends of with writing that “Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment.” Whereas the Chinese believe that “the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away” -But in the end all parents really do want to accomplish, is the happiness, safety and health of their children whatever way they may see fit. Western upbringing or
Grace, another one of the students, takes her concern to the table as she realizes what she is struggling with “every day is how society sees me, how [she sees] herself through society’s eyes and what [she] feels inside,” (58). In turn, she is able to critically analyze her personal construction for the purpose of seeking an identity against the categories she had involuntarily inherited from others. China points out that people feel that their generation is spoiled as a result of the efforts their predecessors had put in to create a more just world for people of color. Yet, she mentions that while that was a step forward, it was not the end and that the generations following have to fight in a different manner in this world where the social element is still unaccounted for
Have you read or heard of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. It’s a difficult period in Chinese history, and was a massive upheaval launched by Chinese leader Mao Zedong to renew the spirit of revolution in China. The book “The Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Chinese Revolution” in which the author is Ji-li Jiang, talks about this major event in Chinese history and tells the story of one girl's struggle to keep her family together during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Ji-li changed many times in different sections of the book. One of the main events that changed her the most was during class when one of her classmates revealed her class status because she first felt that she should have never existed and that she had never had a grandfather
This clearly reveals how important of the family pride and reputation is to a Chinese family. As a Chinese girl growing up in a Chinese family, I know what it is really mean to my family exactly. I was taught to be a loyal and responsible person since I was a child. I know my family will be responsible for my wrongdoings, so I always follow the rules that my family gave to me because I do not want them to be ashamed of me. Hence, to some extent, we cannot avoid the influence of culture because it is invisible but powerful in different aspects of our
How Kids Really Succeed Summary In the article "How Kids Really Succeed" by Paul Tough, he identifies the fact that students in the country are facing everyday challenges. These challenges affect their everyday lives, meaning in and outside of the classroom. Tough explains that students who have been raised with a lower income tend to fall short in their studies in school and have more behavioral issues than children who have been raised in a wealthier home. The kids who act out daily are not the ones to blame, because they are simply doing what they think is right in their minds.
In fact the Chinese mothers’ way of teaching is not the best way. They broke down the connection between imagination and knowledge. Chua claims that the children have to listen their parents, because parents think that they pay the money for their children and the children need them to alive. Chua write: “ Chinese parent believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but it’s probably a combination of Confucian filial piety and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children” (54).
For TMA01 I will discuss the concept of childhood studies and child psychology and how this has changed over time and over different societies. I will also be looking at the different sociological and anthropological perspectives of childhood. I will use these to understand children’s experiences to gain more knowledge of childhood. I will also look at how limits off childhood have emerged over time and how these have influenced our knowledge and understanding of children’s lives. Childhood studies focus on children’s lives from the ages of 0-18 years of age.
Chu’s son needed an inhaler, but he wasn’t allowed to bring it to class because he didn’t deserve special treatment. As Chu states in “Why American Students Need Chinese Schools,” “In other words, no kid gets special treatment, and if I didn’t like it, I could get out.” This goes to the philosophical idea that Chinese have an interdependent mindset and they believe that people excel in groups and people should be helping the group instead of themselves. This is where the Chinese could learn from the independent mindset of Americans, who excel at expressing individuality and creativity. Expressing individuality allows children to find their personal artistic abilities and express
Tasks in the family were divided along gender lines. Margaret’s father would work outside the home and would act as the head of the family. He would be in charge of money and supporting the family. Meanwhile, her mother was in charge of household chores. This dominance that males possess is common among Asian families.
This is important because if we ignore a child’s culture, we are showing them that their sense of self, their sense of being, is not important. A child’s culture, the values and beliefs that they learn at home and from their families, shape who they are as individuals, and who they will become as they continue to positively develop their own sense of identity. Without having a strong sense of their own identity, a child will struggle to feel a sense of belonging. If we ignore a child’s culture, or don’t bother to take the time to appreciate and include their culture in our daily teachings and communications, how can we expect children to achieve the first learning outcome in the ELYF, Children have a strong sense of identity.
Some of the students began to realize the purpose of the trip. One child said, “that this is not much of a democracy…equal chances to pursue happiness means an equal crack at the dough, don’t it?”(Bambara92). This child was able to understand the purpose of the trip by coming out their comfort
No matter what you believe or what you think is the correct thing to do, it seems that both sides, the Chinese way of educating children and the Western way, have negative and positive effects. It seems that the definitive goal for all parents is to gain their children a great future, and perchance the predominant factor should not be how you do it, but why. Notwithstanding the fact that the author is not entirely objective, she argues well for her viewpoints and constantly makes the reader reflect on how to educate
Regarding parental roles, ! Kung mothers are often the ones who deal with correcting their child’s behavior (Draper). However, this is usually only because, generally, mothers are the closest to their children physically at any given time. Children are not raised to fear their fathers or male authority. Even though mothers are typically those who spend the most time with their children, the fathers are still heavily involved.
Recently we have read about the intelligent Native Americans, especially about their childhood, which is so free, unrestrained, and full of vitality and vigor. The Native American children like Tisquantum grew up in a world of warmth. However, in China’s rural areas, almost all of the children are left-behind ones and are lack of parental love and care of the society. Comparing the childhood of the children in rural China and the childhood of the children in Tisquantum’s village, I would rather grow up in Tisquantum’s village because of the following reasons.
A child’s family environment, background and health can all have an impact on a child’s development because if the child is uncomfortable or unhappy then they are not developing in a healthy way. A child needs to feel loved and be shown affection to help them feel safe and secure in their environment in order to develop in a positive way. Children and young people’s development will either be boosted or restricted by personal factors, as well as external ones. External factors have a marked effect on a child’s development from the very beginning but they can also affect how involved a child is with school and group activities.
There are different style in which American parents treat their children compared to Chinese parents. According to China Daily, American parents like to reward or praise their children. They believe glorification and encouragement can help the children to develop courage and self-confidence. Thus, they prefer compliments or encourage their children, no matter they do well or not. For example, if children do excellent in a test at school, their parents will praise their children by saying, “Good job!”