It’s probably only recently that I have quite begun to quite understand the vast differences that exist in styles of parenting in different cultures. Who could fail to be impressed by eight year old Mimi who lives nearby for instance. How willingly she attends to her piano practice every afternoon after school. How calming, comforting, and reassuring are her endless repetition of scales and studies as her efforts drift along the walkway. How polite and co-operative her conduct.
My erstwhile neighbour, Rebecca, now living deeper in the depths of Parnell, touched upon the parenting topic only a week or two ago when we met for coffee. Her familiarity with cultural disparities comes from years of living in Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand and the United States. She spoke of the firm anticipation Asian parents have that their children will always love and support them and a great deal of the time, even as adults, conform to their wishes. I commented that Eastern and Western attitudes are often poles apart and she nodded. Later I wondered why it was that we in the West, so quick to consider ourselves superior in the art of child rearing, can so frequently get it so wrong. Later, Lucy ringing in to discuss book sales wasn’t really interested but did suggest that more exposure of our self-obsessed offspring to the Eastern way of life would surely help. Instead of Gap years they might have benefited from Swap years in China she thought. I agreed but did not of course explore the idea further. Sometimes attitudes simply don’t rub off no matter how fortuitous the circumstances appear to be. Anyway fortuitous doesn’t always mean fortunate does it?
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