Lessons in good parenting

According to Chinese media reports, a man in Zhejiang province recently beat his daughter to death for copying homework. In the same week, a video posted online showed a teenage boy hitting and kicking his grandmother in a subway in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, because, according to the old lady, he didn't like something she said about him. The two incidents, though completely different, reflect the drawbacks of parenting, says an article on people.com.cn. Excerpts:

Chinese parents are known to pay close attention to their children, particularly their academic performance. However, many parents tend to ignore other aspects of their children's character buildup.

Good parenting is not only about paying close attention to children's education. Moreover, education does not mean school and college education only; it also includes moral and social education which have to be imparted by parents.

The Zhejiang case is a tragedy caused by tight but misguided parental control and the Jiangsu incident shows that parental indulgence can spoil a child to such an extent that it can turn violent even against senior members of the family.

The problem is that parents either pamper and spoil their children or are extremely strict with them, neither of which makes good parenting.

Parenting methods evolve with the times. German parents, for instance, used to decide what their children would study, but today most German families follow a democratic parenting style and treat children as equals, especially when it comes to their education.

Parenting is a creative process and parents should not copy the so-called successful parenting styles of other countries blindly. Chinese parents need to better communicate with their children and explore a parenting style that meets the interests of their children and the family.

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