How Were Kids Meant To Behave With Their Parents In China?

China has a long history of obedience to its parents, particularly fathers, and has had the right to dictate their children’s education, work, and marriage. During the Cultural Revolution (1967-1977), most children did not denounce their parents and treated Mao as dearer than their own. In 2016, married couples in China were allowed to have two children after concerns over an aging population and shrinking workforce led to the end of the controversial one-child policy.

Children are often characterized as the “only hope” of their parents for the continuation of their families. This article explores the generation of “only” children in China and the impact of the one-child policy, which forced many families to abandon their homes. From 2003 to 2012, about 200,000 babies were born in Hong Kong to mainland Chinese parents.

China’s strict one-child policy forced many families to abandon their homes, but children are still expected to obey their parents and honor their elders. This is in accordance with filial piety, the Confucian tenet that stresses the importance of age. In most regions of China, the entire family is expected to consult family elders on big decisions.

The post-’90s new generation of Chinese parents is shunning traditional parenting methods and instead turning to a more radical approach. The new discourse promotes the idea that children are autonomous human beings who should be treated as their parents’ equals and unique with distinct needs. According to the values of filial piety, children should respect their parents, obey them, and care for elderly parents.

In the old days, children were treated well but not spoiled because family members often had other duties and obligations. Mothers were the primary givers, but children’s authoritarian filial piety belief is closely associated with their respect for and obedience to their parents.

How were children treated in ancient China?

In ancient China, the birth of a boy was considered more important than the birth of a girl, with girls from poor families often sold as servants to rich families. Children were loved and lived with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in the same house with a shrine for worshiping their ancestors. They played with toys and helped their parents in the fields, while girls helped their mothers around the house. Boys lived with their families all their lives, while girls moved to their husband’s house after marriage and were no longer allowed to worship their own ancestors. Marriages were arranged.

How do parents discipline their children in China?

The authors posit that Chinese parents frequently utilize physical and emotional punishment as a means of resolving conflicts and issues with their children, a practice that has the potential to result in child abuse.

Do Chinese children take care of their parents?

In China, traditional norms of filial piety require children to respect their parents, live with them, and care for them, all of which involve sacrifice. As birthrates decline and populations age, parental care will become more burdensome on younger generations, especially in East Asia where children often provide care regardless of national long-term care insurance programs. Understanding the younger generation’s views on parental care is crucial.

An explorative, metathematic qualitative study design was used, with semi-structured interviews conducted between 19 Chinese and 19 Japanese university students from December 2021 to July 2022. Metatheme analysis was used to identify broad cross-cultural metathemes and inter-relationships on parental care.

How do Chinese parents treat their child?

Chinese parenting emphasizes preparing children for the future, allowing them to showcase their abilities and equipping them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence. However, this approach may not be the best, as it may not account for individual personalities or the potential for rebellion. Despite acknowledging the limitations of this model, Chinese parenting remains a key factor in the success of Chinese children, as it focuses on preparing them for the future and fostering their resilience.

Who takes care of parents in China?

In China, the provision of eldercare has historically been the responsibility of the eldest son and his family. This cultural norm is reflected in the use of cookies on ScienceDirect, which collect data for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. The Creative Commons licensing terms are applicable to open access content.

What happened to parents who had more than one child in China?

The Family Planning Policy in China was enforced at the provincial level through contraception, abortion, and fines based on family income and other factors. Population and Family Planning Commissions were established at every government level to raise awareness and carry out registration and inspection work. The fine was a “social maintenance fee” for families with more than one child, as violating the law created a burden on society. The 2019 documentary One Child Nation portrayed the experiences of enforcement, primarily focusing on rural China.

The policy was enforced through a financial penalty in the form of a “social child-raising fee” or “family planning fine” in the West, collected as a fraction of either the annual disposable income of city dwellers or the annual cash income of peasants in the year of the child’s birth. For example, in Guangdong, the fee was between three and six annual incomes for incomes below the district’s per capita income, plus one to two times the annual income exceeding the average.

What is China brutal one child policy?

The one-child policy in China has had a significant impact on women’s reproductive rights, leading to societal pressures and child separations. The policy has resulted in 50, 000 to 60, 000 sterilizations and abortions, with some women being tied up for induced abortions. The legacy of this policy is complex, but it has led to fear, child separations, and deaths among women and families. The policy also extends beyond China, with many adopted children being trafficked into orphanages and women being trafficked from Myanmar to marry Chinese men due to gender imbalance. The one-child policy highlights the importance of addressing gender imbalance and ensuring women’s reproductive rights to prevent further harm.

What is the ancient Chinese concept of respecting and caring for parents?

Xiao, or filial piety, is a fundamental tenet of Confucianism that emphasizes the importance of respecting one’s parents and ancestors. Such respect is demonstrated through service to one’s parents. This information is derived from ScienceDirect, a shopping cart, and is protected by copyright law. The website employs the use of cookies, and all rights are reserved for text and data mining, AI training, and analogous technologies.

What is the parenting culture in China?

Chinese parenting in early childhood embodies Confucian values such as knowledge, norms, modesty, shame, restraint, filial piety, and harmony. Guan emphasizes parents’ role in child development, reflecting these values in various aspects of parenting. ScienceDirect uses cookies and copyright © 2024 Elsevier B. V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

How was the family treated in ancient Chinese society?

In traditional Chinese households, the patriarch was the father or eldest son, who was considered the ultimate decision-maker. The mother’s role was to fulfill domestic duties and care for the children. The family unit is considered a central institution, providing a sense of identity and a strong network of support. Confucian thought largely understands the family as containing the most important relationships for individuals and forms the foundations of all social organization.

Confucian roles are not strictly adhered to anymore, but children are still expected to obey their parents and honor their elders. In most regions, the entire family is expected to consult elders on big decisions and care for their parents as they age. Sending elderly parents to an aged care facility is considered shameful.

Families are perceived to have a collective identity and reputation, with the family’s interests superseding individual interests. Family members are expected to receive preferential treatment in return for their loyalty to the family.

Do Chinese respect their parents?

Filial piety is a common practice in East Asian cultures, particularly in China, where respect for the family is considered the most important element. This practice is rooted in Confucian, Chinese Buddhist, and Daoist ethics, and is exemplified in the Confucian Classic of Filial Piety, a book written around the late Warring States – Qin – Han period. The book, a dialogue between Confucius and his student Zengzi, focuses on setting up a good society using the principle of filial piety. The Confucian role ethics are central to filial piety, as it is central to the Confucian tenet of love and respect for one’s parents, elders, and ancestors.