Chinese Parents

  1. Chinese Parents Game Cheats
  2. Chinese Parents Association For The Disabled
  3. Chinese Parents Game Guide

Chinese Parents is a child-raising life sim that has you determining the fate and fortune of a sprog right from the moment they’re born. Traditionally, Chinese parents are highly involved in and have a great influence on their children's upbringing. 'Due to the inherent makeup of Chinese family culture,' says ChineseParenting.com, 'it is rare to find parents who are supportive but do not have a resonable amount of influence on their child’s development.' The Chinese parent’s desire to see his child perform well in school often is related to their hope for a child’s success at an older age. As the care-taker role switches from parent to child after a child marries, parents want their children to earn a successful living to support the family.

Jun 26, 2019

A basic guide listing the choices available when choosing to interact with female classmates as a male student.

Introduction


The Lady Wooer achievement is given when you attain an average intimacy of >50% with all girls. Due to the nature of the achievement, it is recommended you do this run within your later generations (Better passive stats for easier play through). Also, try not to spend too much money early in the game as you want to keep a good savings to buy items for the girls.
Obviously try to go for the highest positive choices when possible. Sometimes, the choices may flip (A neutral may give a negative response, a positive response may be negative). But for the most part, the values and reactions you receive should be fairly consistent .
You can always restart the turn by going to the main menu as the choices will be random. This achievement is really just more about RNG so don't get discouraged if there are always negative choices.
Also, you may be limited to 3 interactions with girls per turn depending on your mom's reaction. Getting 4 interactions is always ideal. You can always repeat interaction with girls if you want to build one to 50% and move onto the next.
Note: Your parents income from the previous generation must award you with at least ¥100 of pocket money to even interact with Yeena Tang (P2W Girl). Make sure you start this achievement with this requirement met or you will not be able to earn the achievement.
Professions that Earn ¥100 Minimum
Career Field / Profession / Money

  • Singer - World Famous Singer / ¥130
  • Star - Popular Celebrity / ¥120
  • Singer - Music Tutor / ¥100

Phoebe Liu


One of the 4 starter girls when you enter Junior High. Typical nerdy girl and easy to charm.
Positive Choices

Chinese Parents Game Cheats

Chinese parents game online
  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50) +12
  • Talk about study efficiency and methods +8
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130) +8
  • Give a new notebook (¥5) +8
  • Show off your IQ +8
  • Talk about the newest school books +6
  • Give a poem collection (¥50) +5
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50) +5
  • Talk about homework +5
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +3
  • Imagine the future +3
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50) +2
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +3
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +2
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +2 (Waste of money)
  • Give a music box (¥120) +2
  • Speak ill of your enemies +2
  • Tell Jokes +2
  • Let’s do brain teasers! +2
  • If we… +2
  • I see… +2
  • How about… +2
  • A simple song… +2
  • Talk about your futures +2
  • Talk about a niche movie +2
  • Talk about school gossip +2
  • Talk about the past +2
  • Recite a poem +2

FreeNeutral Choices

  • Perform coin magic tricks
  • Try a kabedon on her
  • Imitate celebrity poses
  • Just do whatever comes to mind
  • Invite them to work as a volunteer with you
  • Freestyle rap
  • Give them an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50)
  • Give a membership to a high end gym (¥100)
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40)
  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50)
  • Give superhero cards (¥20)
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100)
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110)
  • Talk about recent novels
  • Talk about sports shoe brands
  • Talk about sports gossip
  • Talk about onion news
  • Talk about the latest movies
  • Talk about new movies
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition
  • Talk about school legends
  • Talk about the latest celebrity couples
  • Because of love…
  • You are…
  • You say you’re…
  • I want to say it out loud…
  • I want to…
  • Dear…

Negative Choices

  • Think of nicknames for your teachers -8
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70) -5
  • Talk about e-sports players -5
  • Talk about new games -5
  • Talk about celebrity gossip -5
  • Gossip about your teachers -5
  • Talk about your teachers positions at school -3
  • I’m not afraid -2
  • Sing some rap -2
  • Yawn -2
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) -2
  • Talk about the latest sports car -2
  • Talk about male clothes -2
  • Talk about skin care products -2
  • Talk about luxury products -2
  • Talk about the weather -2
  • Talk about new anime series -2
  • Talk about quotes of your teachers -2
  • Talk about yesterday's social media posts -2

Marleen Xi


One of the 4 starter girls when you enter Junior High. Typical party girl
Positive Choices

  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50) +10
  • Talk about yesterday's social media posts +10
  • Talk about celebrity gossip +10
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) +8
  • Talk about school legends +8
  • Speak ill of your enemies +8
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +5 (If you have the money)
  • Play party king (flying chess) +5
  • Invite them to sing with you +5
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +5
  • Talk about school gossip +5
  • Talk about sports gossip +5
  • Let’s do brain teasers! +5
  • Tell Jokes +5
  • Talk about clothes you're wearing today +3
  • Play rock paper scissors +3
  • Talk about onion news +3
  • I want to... +3
  • Give them an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50) +2
  • Talk about your teachers positions at school +2
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +2
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50) +2
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100) +2
  • Talk about sports shoe brands +2
  • Talk about skin care products +2
  • Talk about the latest movies +2
  • Gossip about your teachers +2
  • Talk about male clothes +2
  • Imitate celebrity poses +2
  • You say you're... +2
  • Freestyle rap +2
  • How about... +2
  • Dear... +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give a membership card to a high-end gym (¥100)
  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50)
  • Talk about clothes you're wearing today
  • Talk about the latest celebrity couples
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130)
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110)
  • Give a poem collection (¥50)
  • Talk about latest sports car
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50)
  • Give a new notebook (¥5)
  • Talk about a niche movie
  • Talk about recent novels
  • Give a music box (¥120)
  • Talk about the weather
  • Talk about new games
  • Imagine the future
  • A simple song...
  • I see...

Negative Choices

  • Talk about study efficiency and methods -5
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70) -5
  • Praise your own popularity -5
  • Talk about homework -5
  • Talk about the past -5
  • You are... -5
  • Talk about the newest school books -2
  • Give superhero cards (¥20) -2
  • Talk about a niche movie -2
  • Talk about filial respect -2
  • Talk about your futures -2
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40) -2
  • Because of love... -2
  • Show off your IQ -2
  • Recite a poem -2
  • Sing some rap -2
  • If we... -2

Yori Qin


One of the 4 starter girls when you enter Junior High. Artistic and creative girl.
Positive Choices

  • Give a poem collection (¥50) +15
  • Recite a poem +12
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition +10
  • Give a music box (¥120) +10
  • Talk about the latest movies +8
  • Talk about recent novels +5
  • Talk about the past +5
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40) +5
  • Imagine the future +5
  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50)+2
  • Talk about your teachers positions at school +2
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130) +2
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +2
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) +2
  • Give superhero cards (¥20) +2
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50) +2
  • Talk about sports gossip +2
  • Talk about male clothes +2
  • Let’s do brain teasers! +2
  • Talk about homework +2
  • Tell Jokes +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give a membership to a high end gym (¥100)
  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50)
  • Talk about study efficiency and methods
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50)
  • Talk about sports shoe brands
  • Talk about skin care products
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500)
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50)
  • Talk about your futures
  • Talk about new games
  • Show off your IQ

Negative Choices

  • Give them an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50) -5
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70) -5
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100) -5
  • Talk about latest sports car -5
  • Praise your own popularity -5
  • Talk about school legends -5
  • Give a new notebook (¥5) -5
  • Talk about yesterdays' social media posts -2
  • Talk about the newest school books -2
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110) -2
  • Talk about celebrity gossip -2
  • Speak ill of your enemies -2
  • Talk about school gossip -2
  • Talk about the weather -2
  • Sing some rap -2

Henrietta Zhang


One of the 4 starter girls when you enter Junior High. Bland girl with no real qualities
Positive Choices

  • Give them an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50) +12
  • Praise your own popularity +8
  • Talk about male clothes +8
  • Talk about skin care products +5
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +5
  • Talk about the latest movies +5
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +5
  • Speak ill of your enemies +5
  • Talk about recent novels +5
  • Sing some rap +5
  • Give a membership to a high end gym (¥100) +2
  • Talk about your teachers positions at school +2
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130) +2
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +2
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100) +2
  • Talk about sports shoe brands +2
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) +2
  • Give superhero cards (¥20) +2
  • Talk about school legends +2
  • Talk about school gossip +2
  • Give a music box (¥120) +2
  • Talk about new games +2
  • Tell Jokes +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50)
  • Talk about the newest school books
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50)
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110)
  • Give a poem collection (¥50)
  • Talk about latest sports car
  • Talk about celebrity gossip
  • Give a new notebook (¥5)
  • Talk about the weather
  • Let’s do brain teasers!
  • Talk about homework
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40)

Chinese Parents Association For The Disabled

Negative Choices

  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70) -5
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition -5
  • Talk about sports gossip -5
  • Talk about your futures -5
  • Show off your IQ -5
  • Recite a poem-5
  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50) -2
  • Talk about study efficiency and methods -2
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50) -2
  • Talk about the past -2

Selene Wang


Selene will appear a few turns after you are able to start talking to classmates. Somewhat difficult to charm due to lackluster responses.
Positive Choices

  • Give a membership card to a high-end gym (¥100) +15
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110) +15
  • Talk about sports gossip +10
  • Talk about the latest celebrity couples +8
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +5
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50) +5
  • Talk about sport shoe brands +5
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40) +5
  • Invite them to work as a volunteer with you +3
  • I'm not afraid... +3
  • Talk about yesterday's social media posts +2
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +2
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +2
  • Invite them to sing with you +2
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50) +2
  • Talk about e-sport players +2
  • I want to say it out loud... +2
  • Play rock paper scissors +2
  • Talk about recent novels +2
  • Talk about the weather +2
  • Dear... +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50)
  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50)
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130)
  • Talk about quotes of your teachers
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition
  • Talk about the latest sports cars
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100)
  • Talk about skin care products
  • Play party king (flying chess)
  • Talk about the latest movies
  • Give superhero cards (¥20)
  • Talk about celebrity gossip
  • Talk about school legends
  • Talk about luxury products
  • Perform coin magic tricks
  • Give a music box (¥120)
  • Talk about male clothes
  • Talk about filial respect
  • Talk about niche movie
  • Imitate celebrity poses
  • Talk about homework
  • Talk about the past
  • Imagine the future
  • Show off you IQ
  • Freestyle rap
  • You are...

Negative Choices

  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50) -5
  • Just do whatever comes to mind -5
  • Speak ill of your enemies -5
  • Try a kabedon on her -5
  • Talk about the clothes you're wearing today -2
  • Talk about the newest school books -2
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70) -2
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) -2
  • Give a poem collection (¥50) -2
  • Give a new notebook (¥5) -2
  • Gossip about your teacher -2
  • Talk about school gossip -2
  • Talk about onion news -2
  • Talk about your futures -2
  • Talk about new games -2
  • Because of love... -2
  • You say you're... -2
  • A simple song... -2
  • Recite a poem -2
  • Sing some rap -2
  • I want to... -2
  • I see... -2
  • Yawn -2

Rachel Li


Rachel will appear after Selene, again after a few turns. She has an interesting story line if you progress with her.
Positive Choices

  • Give a thermos mug (¥50) +10
  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50) +5
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90) +5
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50) +5
  • Just do whatever comes to mind +5
  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +5
  • Talk about new movies +5
  • Talk about your futures +5
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40) +5
  • Because of love... +5
  • Give an autographed picture of hot celebrity (¥50) +2
  • Give a commemorative album (¥130) +2
  • Talk about the newest school books +2
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition +2
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100) +2
  • Talk about sports shoe brands +2
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110) +2
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) +2
  • Talk about the latest movies +2
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +2
  • Invite them to sing with you +2
  • Praise your own popularity +2
  • Talk about celebrity gossip +2
  • Give a new notebook (¥5) +2
  • Perform coin magic tricks +2
  • I want to say it out loud... +2
  • Talk about a niche movie +2
  • Give a music box (¥120) +2
  • Talk about the weather +2
  • Talk about the past +2
  • Imagine the future +2
  • Show off your IQ +2
  • I want to... +2
  • Dear... +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give a membership card to a high-end gym (¥100)
  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50)
  • Talk about the clothes you're wearing today
  • Talk about yesterday's social media posts
  • Talk about the latest celebrity couples
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70)
  • Give a poem collection (¥50)
  • Talk about new anime series
  • Give superhero cards (¥20)
  • Play rock paper scissors
  • Let's do brain teasers!
  • Talk about homework
  • Sing some rap!
  • Freestyle rap
  • Yawn
  • If we...
  • Because of love... +5
  • Talk about male clothes -2

Negative Choices

  • Talk about your teachers positions at school -5
  • Talk about the new game's publishing date -5
  • Gossip about your teachers -5
  • Talk about recent novels -5
  • Think of nicknames for your teachers -2
  • Talk about quotes of your teachers -2
  • Talk about the latest sports cars -2
  • Talk about school legends -2
  • Talk about male clothes -2
  • Imitate celebrity poses -2
  • Talk about onion news -2
  • Try a kabedon on her -2
  • I see... -2

Yeena Tang


Rich girl. Basically give her expensive stuff.
Positive Choices

  • Give a nice key chain (¥500) +15
  • Give expensive lipstick (¥80) +10
  • Talk about latest sports car +10
  • Give a luxury meal voucher (¥50) +8
  • Give a hundred RMB bill (¥100) +8
  • Talk about sports shoe brands +5
  • Give a Karaoke ticket (¥50) +5
  • Talk about male clothes +5
  • Give them an autographed picture of a hot celebrity (¥50) +2
  • Give a one-time Japanese print club picture (¥50) +2
  • Give a membership to a high end gym (¥100) +2
  • Talk about your teachers positions at school +2
  • Talk about yesterdays' social media posts +2
  • Talk about skin care products +2
  • Talk about the latest movies +2
  • Talk about celebrity gossip +2
  • Talk about school legends +2
  • Give a new notebook (¥5) +2
  • Talk about school gossip +2
  • Let’s do brain teasers! +2
  • Give a yo-yo (¥40) +2
  • Tell Jokes +2

Neutral Choices

  • Give a commemorative album (¥130)
  • Talk about the newest school books
  • Give an acne treatment pack (¥70)
  • Give eight treasure porridge (¥90)
  • Talk about the latest art exhibition
  • Give a sports bracelet (¥110)
  • Give superhero cards (¥20)
  • Praise your own popularity
  • Give a thermos mug (¥50)
  • Speak ill of your enemies
  • Talk about sports gossip
  • Give a music box (¥120)
  • Talk about the weather
  • Talk about your futures
  • Talk about new games
  • Talk about the past
  • Imagine the future
  • Show off your IQ
  • Sing some rap

Negative Choices

  • Give the latest school exercise book (¥50) -5
  • Talk about filial respect -5
  • Talk about study efficiency and methods -2
  • Give a poem collection (¥50) -2
  • Talk about recent novels -2
  • Talk about homework -2
  • Recite a poem -2

Recommended for You:
  • All Chinese Parents Guides!

You May Also Like:


What research says about Chinese kids and why they succeed

© 2011 - 2019 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved

Why people are interested in traditional Chinese parenting

'Chinese Americans are overrepresented in many of the nation's elite universities' note Yong Zhao and Wei Qiu.

The kids get higher SAT math scores, and are disproportionately represented among U.S. National Merit Scholars (Zhao and Qiu 2009).

Why is this the case? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because Chinese people enjoy an innate advantage in IQ.

When James Flynn analyzed past studies of achievement and IQ, he found that Chinese attainments could be better explained by environmental factors (Flynn 1991).

So what’s the secret?

Yale law professor Amy Chua says it’s about parenting.

Chinese mothers raise more accomplished, academically successful kids because they are more demanding and strict than Western mothers are.

Is Chua correct?

There is some evidence in her favor. We know, for example, that parents who set high standards tend to have kids who are more successful at school. It’s also clear that Chinese parents tend to spend more time pushing their kids to study, practice, and achieve.

But the devil is in the details, and many critics want to know about the specific parenting practices Chua describes in a controversial piece for the Wall Street Journal, and in her autobiographical book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

As I note below, these practices -- which feature the threat of punishment and lots of psychological control -- sound like authoritarian parenting, an approach to child-rearing that is usually not associated with the best academic and emotional child outcomes.

The best child outcomes are usually linked with a different style-- authoritative parenting. It's true for many Westerners, and it's also true for many Chinese. When Chinese kids are raised by authoritative parents, they do as well or better than Chinese kids from authoritarian homes.

Chinese Parents Game Guide

So it’s doubtful that Chua’s tactics are as beneficial as she thinks, and recent research bears this out.

Studies Chua's ideas links “tiger parenting” with mixed results. In some cases, children actually experience lower academic achievement (Kim et at 2013).

In other cases, tiger parenting predicts higher achievement, but poorer well-being: Kids are at higher risk foremotional problems (Kim et al 2015; Li and Hein 2019).

And experimental research suggests that kids benefit when parents abandon psychologically controlling tactics, and practice positive parenting instead. When Chinese parents make this switch, their children experience fewer academic problems (Guo et al 2016).

What, then, can explain Chinese achievement? Decades of research suggests that Chinese kids have two big advantages, advantages that have little to do with authoritarianism:

  • Parents emphasize effort, not innate ability
  • Children's peers support each other when they work hard at school

Effort--and the belief that effort pays off--is a key ingredient to Chinese success. Chua herself makes this point in the Wall Street Journal. She doesn’t let her kids believe they can’t succeed.

So here is an overview of Chua’s controversial claims, and a look at the research on Chinese parenting.

Parents

Self-portrait of a Chinese mom

Amy Chua is the daughter of Chinese immigrants to the United States. Her parents, she says, were “extremely strict but extremely loving.” She tried to raise her kids the same way.

What does this mean? Chua provides some specific examples.

For instance, Chua says she never allowed her kids to have a playdate, watch TV, participate in a school play, or choose their own extra-curricular activities. The kids are also not allowed to “get any grade less than an A” or “not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama.”

When her 7-year-old daughter failed to master a new piece on the piano, Chua drove her relentlessly. “I threatened her with no lunch, no dinner, no Christmas or Hanukkah presents,” Chua writes, “no birthday parties for two, three, four years. When she still kept playing it wrong, I told her she was purposely working herself into a frenzy because she was secretly afraid she couldn't do it. I told her to stop being lazy, cowardly, self-indulgent and pathetic.”

Chua made her daughter work into the night, denying her even a break to go to the bathroom. “The house became a war zone, and I lost my voice yelling, but still there seemed to be only negative progress, and even I began to have doubts.”

Then--at last--the girl made a breakthrough. She mastered the piece, and wanted to play it again and again. And the emotional strife had lifted. That night, the girl crawled into her mother’s bed, and they “snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up. “

To many people, this story is disturbing. Chua’s approach seems harsh and unhelpful.

But Chua got the results. And, Chua notes, the point is this:

Unlike many Western parents who would have backed down, convinced that the child just wasn’t ready or able to master the new piano piece, Chua believed that her child could do it. But she wasn’t going to learn the piece without intense effort, and that effort wasn’t going to happen unless the child was pushed.

What helps kids? To be allowed to choose for themselves, or to be pushed into achievements that will pay off later in life? A more indulgent approach might seem more caring. But, as Chua argues, her parenting style shows a concern for the long-term welfare of her kids.

“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.”

That doesn’t mean that Chinese parenting is better. As Chua recounts in her book, one of her daughters rebelled, and Chua had to reassess her views. She tells Jeff Yang, '...I'm aware now of the limitations of that model -- that it doesn't incorporate enough choice, that it doesn't account for kids' individual personalities...”

But Chua sticks by her basic premise. If you want to know why Chinese kids succeed, it’s because of the sorts of parenting practices described above.

What does the research say about traditional Chinese parenting?

Chua’s claims have caused a stir. Are the parenting tactics she describes truly effective? And if these tactics work, do they work at a cost to the kids? Here’s what the research says.

1. Traditional Chinese parenting has been labeled as “authoritarian” by some researchers.

Authoritarian parenting is a style of child-rearing that emphasizes high standards and a tendency to control kids through shaming, the withdrawal of love, or other punishments. This is distinguished from authoritative parenting, which also emphasizes high standards, but is accompanied by high levels of parental warmth and a commitment to reason with children.

2. When compared with authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting is linked with lower levels of self-control, more emotional problems, and lower academic performance.

These links have been documented for Western kids raised in North America. They have also been documented for Chinese kids living in Beijing and Taiwan. But there are some exceptions. Studies Hong Kong Chinese (Leung et al 1998) and of Chinese immigrants to North America (Chao 2001) have linked authoritarian parenting with higher school achievement.

3. Researchers like Ruth Chao argue that the authoritarian label doesn’t quite map onto the strict, controlling parenting style of many traditional Chinese.

“Authoritarian” implies that parents are rather cold and distant. But strict Chinese parents enjoy a sense of closeness with their kids. And the kids may interpret their parents’ coercive tactics as evidence that they are loved. This, says Chao, is why some studies have failed to show a link between poor outcomes and authoritarian parenting among Chinese immigrants. Unlike children in Western authoritarian families--children who feel alienated by their parents--the Chinese-American kids feel connected (Chao 1994; Chao 2001).

4. Traditional Chinese parenting has one clear advantage over contemporary Western parenting: Chinese parents--like many other Asian parents--are more likely to emphasize effort over innate talent.

Experiments show that people learn more when they believe that effort, not innate intelligence, is the key to achievement. And other research suggests that Westerners are more likely to assume that a child fails because he lacks innate ability (Stevenson and Lee 1990).

5. Chinese-American kids tend to have peer groups that support achievement.

Studies of adolescents in the United States suggest that some kids pay a “nerd penalty” for studying hard. When these kids perform well at school, they get rejected by their peers. Chinese-Americans are less likely to face this choice between scholastic success and social success. Lawrence Steinberg and his colleagues (1992) wonder if “pro-achievement” peer pressure protects Chinese kids from some of the negative effects of authoritarian parenting.

And what about creativity? Independent thinking skills?

I haven’t found any studies addressing the subject. But some educators in China have expressed concern that traditional Chinese parenting doesn’t foster creativity or divergent thinking (Tobin et al 1991; Zhao 2007). And it seems reasonable to assume that kids won’t develop skills they don’t practice.

As Yong Zhao and Wei Qiu note, it’s a myth that Chinese (and other Asian-American) students are good at everything. Like everyone else, they have their strengths and weaknesses. And these are shaped by training.

So there is no magic here. Just the payoffs for hard work.

Is the controversy justified? It's certainly understandable.

People want to know if authoritarian parenting can sometimes be a good thing. I'm inclined to say not. But in any case, it's clear that there are good things about traditional Chinese parenting--and Chinese culture--that don't have anything to do with authoritarianism. And those are lessons that can benefit us all.

Copyright © 2006-2020 by Gwen Dewar, Ph.D.; all rights reserved.
For educational purposes only. If you suspect you have a medical problem, please see a physician.

References: Traditional Chinese parenting

Chao R. 2001. Extending research on the consequences of parentingstyle for Chinese Americans and European Americans. Child Development72: 1832-1843.

Chao R. 1994. Beyond parental control; authoritarian parenting style: Understanding Chinese parenting through the cultural notion of training. ChildDevelopment 45: 1111-1119.

Else-Quest NM, Mineo C, and Higgins A. 2013. Math and scienceattitudes and achievement at the intersection of gender andethnicity. Psychology of Women Quarterly. In press.

Chinese Parents

Flynn J R. 1991. Asian Americans: Achievement Beyond IQ. LawrenceErlbaum.

Guo M, Morawska A, Sanders MR. 2016. A Randomized Controlled Trialof Group Triple P With Chinese Parents in Mainland China. BehavModif. 40(6):825-851.

Kim SY, Wang Y, Chen Q, Shen Y, Hou Y. 2015. Parent-childacculturation profiles as predictors of Chinese American adolescents'academic trajectories. J Youth Adolesc. 44(6):1263-74

Kim SY, Wang Y, Orozco-Lapray D, Shen Y, and Murtuza M. 2013. Does'Tiger Parenting' Exist? Parenting Profiles of ChineseAmericans and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes. Asian Am J Psychol.1;4(1):7-18.

Leung PWL and Kwon KSF. 1998. Parenting Styles, MotivationalOrientations, and Self-Perceived Academic Competence: A MediationalModel. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly.44(1): 1-19.

Li N and Hein S. 2019. Parenting, Autonomy in Learning, andDevelopment During Adolescence in China. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev.(163):67-80

Steinberg L, Lamborn SD, Dornbusch SM, and Darling N. 1992. Impactof parenting practices on adolescent achievement: authoritativeparenting, school involvement, and encouragement to succeed. ChildDev. 63(5):1266-81.

Stevenson HW and Lee SY. 1990. Contexts of achievement: a study ofAmerican, Chinese, and Japanese children. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev.55(1-2):1-123.

Zhao Y. 2007. China and the whole child. Educational Leadership64(8): 70-73.

Zhao Y and Qiu W. 2009. How Good Are the Asians? Refuting FourMyths About Asian-American Academic Achievement. Phi Delta Kappan90(5): 338-344.

Content last modified 2/2019

Parents

PRIVACY POLICY