Yan Mei
The author and her son.
- There is a lot to learn from looking at the cultural differences between Chinese and American parenting styles.
- For example, Chinese parents coach their children into learning new skills, whereas American parents are inclined to wait until the child shows initiative.
- As her son grows older and experiences more, author Yan Mei knows that her cultural values and parenting strategies will grow and change as well.
My son was born in the United States to a Chinese mother and a British father. He may speak fluent Mandarin, use chopsticks, say "lift" instead of "elevator," and enjoy Weetabix and crumpets at breakfast, but he calls New York home.
There's much more to multicultural parenting than language and food. In the past five years, I've gobbled up reams of parenting books, but I don't believe that there is such a thing as the perfect parent. We can't choose our parents, but we can choose what kind of parents we want to be, regardless of our cultural background.
Here are four major differences I've noticed between how Chinese parents and American parents raise their kids: