Asian or Western Parenting Style?

By Tiffany W.

This video went viral on Facebook last mother’s day: Asian Mom VS Western Mom. I find this video very funny, because it is very true! Well, maybe not for all of you, but it is in my case.

If you watch the video, you will get a general idea of how Asian moms act towards their children.

Asian moms are typically strict, close-minded, judgmental, unsupportive, and indirect, while western moms are typically lenient, open-minded, uncritical, supportive, and straightforward.

Do you agree?

An Asian mom is always the person in charge around the house. So, my mom always had curfew for me. I had to be home at a certain time. If I was not home, she would call my cellphone constantly. She also thought that a career is not that important for women because the man should be the one who supports the family. Women should stay home, cooking and cleaning.

My mom is also very judgmental. As an example, the first year I was in the U.S., I was excited to celebrate Halloween with friends. I dressed up as the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland). The skirt was really short and so I wore leggings. One of my friend posted the picture and my mother thought that it was too sexy. 7 years had passed and yet I still hear her talking about it.

Fortunately, both my parents are supportive. But, if you watch the video, Asian mom VS Western mom, actually, this part is true. Western parents are normally happy and very proud when their kids pass an exam. Asian parents feel this is nothing special. That’s what they are expecting from us. So, you won’t hear them giving you any compliments.

They are also very indirect. You don’t normally hear “I love you”. Both parents and kids show this emotion by gestures. A typical example of the gestures that you will see is that moms will always cook a good meal for their kids, and feed them well.

So, which parenting style do you prefer?

I can’t decide now. In my opinion, both styles have positive and negative side to them. Maybe I will have to wait until I become a parent.

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