Comparing Asian To Western Child Upbringing

In family friends by Michael Michelini6 Comments

hey, i’m DEFINITELY not an expert or have any experience in raising a child (god willing, hope to one day) but I thought I would just reflect on what I’ve noticed the past few years in China and now in Philippines about child upbringing to what I know and have experienced in America and heard from friends in most of Europe.
Sleeping in same bed – i think this one is a bit strange for me, in philippines the child sleeps in the same bed as the parents! Marie and others here claim its because they are too poor to afford their own room or crib…..but there are families homes I’ve been to in philippines that have the extra room, Bed but still have the baby, or even toddler in the same bed as them….so then its normally admitted because they want to take care of the baby and make it feel loved….its become a cultural thing

Moving away after school – i remember my mom always, half hoking, half serious that i had better get my ass outta the house and working or in college once i was 18. Or shed push me out, haha. But its true, in America its kinda like “losing face” if your still living at home after sometime, and the parents normally want to tell their friends and relatives how their son or daughter is off in school or in a good job, blah blah…….to be independent and self sufficient after their schooling…..but what i se in china and philippines is the parents encouraging or hoping their child stays at home, with the whole family, and time with family is more important. I think this is more in philippines than in china, on my experience.

Spoiling….– maybe this is harder to cover on a cultural level, but generally in asian culture more “cuddling” , nurturing, and paying attention to a crying baby is done….maybe not financial spoiling, but if the family has money they will put it towards the children for sure….whereas in my perspective children are pushed to be more independent earlier on, and most parents tell their kids crying is bad and not to be “rewarded” with extra attention and nurturing

Borrowing money – in America, it sucks to ask your parents or family for cash….maybe to go to school or college you can borrow it, but man, my friends and i would always crying when thinking to ask parent for cash…..the questions…the conditions, etc – But in China, and what I gather in Philippines, its more like a group effort and family helps each other out easily, money as one.

These are a few points I have found…..trying to be as unbiased here. But it does start from childhood, these cultural differences.

Additional notes: Another big thing I forgot when I originally posted this, in CHINA, the one child law….this makes the family treasure their precious one son or daughter – their little emperor or princess. They will spoil their one son or daughter, as they do not have other children to use their life long savings on. This is another factory to consider when comparing child upbringing between the western world and eastern cultures.

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Comments

  1. chinese families r always close n i can always feel loved hohohoho u r just jealous ;P

    1. Author

      hey, how’d u know! it is kinda jealousy how much attention and hand holding chinese and filipino babies get!! haha. but really, I think it makes the child grow up more sensitive

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