Food for thought

[Stosh]

01:04

[scoutldr]

In the words of my 4 year old Granddaughter, "Outside is FUN!". 

[Torchwood]

Nicely done. Apparently helicopter parenting is frowned upon outside the US.

[Krampus]

Nicely done. Apparently helicopter parenting is frowned upon outside the US.

You clearly have never met a oriental or Indian family then.

 

The Japanese family across the street walks their kids to school ever day. Hold umbrellas over their heads all the way if it is raining. I don't mean sharing the umbrella, I mean one for the adult while the adult holds one for the child as they walk. Many of these families walk their kids INSIDE the building...until the school had to enact a rule that mom and dad (mostly moms) have to stay outside.

 

It's not just an American thing...by no stretch of the imagination.

[Torchwood]

FWIW, they are NOT Oriental. They are Asian. And your examples are Americans, just of differing ancestry than you. I will edit my original comment to just the UK.

[Stosh]

By definition the nations of the Middle East, like Iran, and Israel are Asian along with India and parts of Russia, but these people are seldom referred to as Oriental  Those who were historically connected to the "Far East" were referred to as Oriental, meaning Eastern.  Occidental were everyone else meaning Western. 

 

The people of Israel are Asians as well as Occidentals. 

[Krampus]

FWIW, they are NOT Oriental. They are Asian. And your examples are Americans, just of differing ancestry than you. I will edit my original comment to just the UK.

 

I don't care too much for political correctness run amok. Oriental refers to anyone of an Eastern origin so it is a perfectly proper term from a US point of view. Asian would be more specific to anyone coming from the Continent of Asia.

 

But these families are NOT Americans. These are resident aliens who live here. Some are permanent and some are temporary. Their kids may or may not have been born here, and yet we see the same lawnmower mentality as with "American" families (black, Hispanic, Latino, white or otherwise).

Edited March 10, 2016 by Krampus

[desertrat77]

You clearly have never met a oriental or Indian family then.

 

The Japanese family across the street walks their kids to school ever day. Hold umbrellas over their heads all the way if it is raining. I don't mean sharing the umbrella, I mean one for the adult while the adult holds one for the child as they walk. Many of these families walk their kids INSIDE the building...until the school had to enact a rule that mom and dad (mostly moms) have to stay outside.

 

It's not just an American thing...by no stretch of the imagination.

Krampus, they may be helicoptering because they are in America

 

We were stationed in Okinawa several years ago.  Children as young as kindergarten age walked to school by themselves, several blocks distance.   In the busy urban area outside Kadena Air Base, young children would stand on the curb and raise their hand, signalling their desire to cross the street.   Instantly, four lanes of traffic would stop and allow the kids to cross.   I noticed this applied even where there were no crosswalks.   The kids always did their part:  raise their hand and stand fast on the curb.   Only once the traffic stopped did they proceed across the street.   It was almost surreal each time I saw it.   Heck, here in the US, you can't get yahoos to slow down in a posted school zone, or get off their cell phones while driving in a school zone, or stop for kids who are waiting near an approved cross walk.

 

In public places, the Okinawan kids wandered about without parents nearby.   In general, parents very much doted on their kids, but gave them free reign as well.   (It should be noted that while kids are kids, the Okinawan kids were very polite, even away from mom/dad.)  We always took our kids to public parks, and everyone got on famously.  A very safe environment. 

 

Our youngest daughter was born on Okinawa.   From day one, she had very blond hair, like corn silk.   It's considered good luck to touch blond hair, and at city parks many Okinawa kids would stop by the swing set or bench or whereever and touch my daughter's hair.    It seemed perfectly normal and innocent.

 

My trip down memory lane aside, I think folks adjust their parenting strategies, depending on their locale.   Based on my conversations with folks from various countries around the world, America's reputation proceeds itself sometimes, for good or ill.

[desertrat77]

I don't care too much for political correctness run amok. Oriental refers to anyone of an Eastern origin so it is a perfectly proper term from a US point of view. Asian would be more specific to anyone coming from the Continent of Asia.

 

Absolutely.   In addition to being stationed in Okinawa, I also spent a year in Korea, and have been on temporary duty in other nationals in that region as well.   In conversation, they may use the word "Oriental" to describe themselves.   

 

It seems only in America (and parts of Europe) that folks twist themselves into a knot trying to achieve a self-induced sense of PCness or social consciousness.   The rest of the world is a little more comfortable in their skin.

[Krampus]

Krampus, they may be helicoptering because they are in America

 

 

Naw...if you ask any of the Chinese, Japanese or Indian parents around my area they will all say that's how their families are run. The Chinese kids have no free time. They are either in school, in "Chinese" school, and music lessons or some other event. Parents are constantly over them making them do things. Same with many Indian families in my area.

 

Having lived abroad as a kid and adult, I've seen a similar mentality...albeit in the last 10-20 years. It is more generational than anything. Even American kids had less supervision than they do now. It is in no way just an American thing.

[desertrat77]

Naw...if you ask any of the Chinese, Japanese or Indian parents around my area they will all say that's how their families are run. The Chinese kids have no free time. They are either in school, in "Chinese" school, and music lessons or some other event. Parents are constantly over them making them do things. Same with many Indian families in my area.

 

Having lived abroad as a kid and adult, I've seen a similar mentality...albeit in the last 10-20 years. It is more generational than anything. Even American kids had less supervision than they do now. It is in no way just an American thing.

Ah, I see your point.   My earlier comments were from the public safety angle.   I too have seen the lock-step/driven families, always pushing academics and other stuff to get their kids into a good college, that kind of thing.

[MattR]

Part of the intense activity load for Japanese kids is due to how hard and how important it is to get into the right college. Once a kid gets accepted to college life is much easier. School is easy and if you get into the right school, so is getting a good job. On the other hand, getting into a reasonably good college in the US is easy. Getting out with a useful degree is much harder. So, high school in Japan is very important, in the US it's college. At least this is what it was like circa 1990, when I was there.

[Stosh]

Every parent wants their kids to have a better life than they did.  It just depends on how much that particular parent wishes to push, pull, or whatever to make that happen.

 

My daughter was Valedictorian of her class of 400-ish students.  She got a full ride scholarship to a prestigious school, dropped out, got married, quit her job when her little one was born, and the Mrs. and I had dinner at her place a couple of nights ago.  She rolled around on the floor, giggled, read silly kids books and doted on her daughter for most of the evening.  I never pushed, but my Ex, a school teacher herself, did.  It took my daughter a while, but she did finally figure out what was really important in life.

 

Too often society tells us the wrong things in life as important.  Too often people listen

[scoutldr]

What is important in life, in my opinion, is to be a self-sufficient, contributing member of society.  As long as you're not a burden on the system, I consider that "successful".  Everyone rows their own boat...where you go in that boat is up to you.