Child Rearing Traditions: A Summary

Living in this fast paced world with split second communication and immense global connections, it is hard to believe the vast amount of distinct cultures that still out there in today’s society. Almost as unique as the food or clothing that helps identify these cultures is their child rearing tradition. However, witnessing a world filled with distinct societies, it comes as no surprise that actions taken by one may appear strange to another. One dilemma displaying this natural occurrence is the different parenting practices between Western and Asian couples. It is without any doubt that mothers and/or fathers strive to give their children the finest development of knowledge in order to witness them blossom in a career. Currently, the stringent …show more content…
At young ages, infants observe their surroundings and have a natural tendency to imitate what is happening around them. They can also perceive different sensations based on what they hear, see, touch, etc. As clarified by Amy Chua, in the early stages of education, Asian mothers show to their children their expectations of persevering in every aspect of life. Inside or outside of a school, these children must obey their parents at all times without any hesitation. Amy Chua points out that Asian parents stress the fact that they expect their children to be superior to the other students because there is always room for improvement and failure is not an option. Undeniably, when this method of parenting is presented to Western parents, they commonly pity the children because they believe that a heartless relationship will be created and thus tensions will arise at such a young age. Rather, Western parents perpetually await to see the strengths and weaknesses of their young children without any emphasis on progress. Amy Chua acknowledges the weak Western parenting practice when she says, “Chinese parents can order their kids to get straight As. Western parents can only ask their kids to try their best.” Western parents are afraid, possibly foolishly, that demanding more effort from their children would create an unhealthy apathy towards …show more content…
In fact, parents urge them to engage in unproductive activities that include watching television during weekdays, playing video games, and even allowing them access to social media at young ages. Whereas Amy Chua goes against this tradition by saying, “Chinese parents believe they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children’s own desires and preferences.” Amy Chua emphasizes that Asian children prioritize academics over leisure activities. On the other hand, the Western parent would side with David Brooks’ belief that “the school cafeteria is more intellectually demanding than the library.” The goal of Western parents, as seen by Amy Chua, is to raise their children’s self-esteem by granting them the convenience to take part in inefficient activities, which for the most part turn their children away from education. Not only does this form of carelessness influence children to overlook the importance of a dedicated education, but it also builds addictive habits that will be difficult to control in the future. Therefore, the main problem that Western parents fail to realize is that they acquiesce to everything their young children demand, often putting their children in a position of authority that can lead to conflicts during the adolescent years. However, there is no reason to blame children