Questionable parenting style
What “Jiwa Parents” ask of their children
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With the hope of pushing their offspring – better education equals a better life – “Jiwa parents” lose themselves in the competition, which quickly becomes a burden on their health. China is now trying to put an end to the debacle with bans.
“Jiwa Parenting”, also known colloquially as “Chicken Parenting”, describes an educational culture that is mainly practiced in China, in which parents obsessively interfere in the lives of their children in order to get as much potential out of them as possible. In the past, the name Jiwa was used for a form of therapy in which children were injected with chicken blood to encourage them to learn. This form of therapy is now banned. The incentives stayed. Jiwa parents are almost obsessed with doing everything right in their children’s upbringing, especially when it comes to educational issues. Even toddlers are enrolled in MBA prep courses here.
Jiwa Parents: Where is this pressure coming from?
Children often don’t go to bed before midnight. Between school, private tutoring, music lessons and much more, there is no more time to simply be a child. The pressure on the shoulders of both children and parents is great. Breaking out is difficult because the competition in the pursuit of education and the associated hope for a fulfilling life is relentless. A competition that, in the long run, can damage children’s health and cause financial difficulties for families. On average, Jiwa parents spend 25 to 50 percent of their income on supplementary education, mostly private after-school tutoring, which is becoming a multi-billion dollar business in China.
What role does the state play?
The Communist Party that governs China has been trying to break this cycle for some time. The goal: the birth rate should rise again. However, this is only possible if parents no longer see the need to invest their savings in their children’s education. Jiwa parents can hardly afford more than one child, otherwise the expenses would probably ruin them. The state is trying to remedy the situation with various measures, such as the ban on homework, restrictions on online tutoring and the creation of training positions. However, it remains questionable whether the restrictions are helpful. Because as long as there is competition, parents remain afraid that their children might miss the boat.
Sources: psychologytoday.com