Overbearing Parents Insist Lead Role In School Play Go To 25 Girls

[GaryC 7]

Overbearing Parents Insist Lead Role In School Play Go To 25 Girls

June 7, 2008 2:15 p.m. EST

Amy Beeman - AHN

Okinawa, Japan (AHN) -- In what may be one of the biggest triumphs for aggressively protective parents in Japan, 25 girls got the lead role in the school performance of Snow White after parents insisted it was only fair.

The surge of aggressive parenting has been growing over the last several years. Overbearing parents are categorized by their hovering over their children, making every decision and being protective to the point of crippling their children's social and emotional growth.

Case in point: The London Times reported that overbearing parents harassed school officials in a suburban town in Japan so badly that the play called Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs had only 25 Snow Whites and no dwarfs, no wicked witch and no handsome prince.

The parents agreed that it was unfair for only one girl to be chosen. It was also reported that parents are more commonly sneaking recording devices into their children's classrooms, forming 'teacher hunter" groups in which parents demand the dismissal of a chosen teacher, and even demanding that sporting event outcomes are recorded falsely so that their children do not feel bad about losing.

The Japan Times said part of the reason parents are so over zealous is that in Asia particularly, education is perceived as the only means of advancement in a severely competitive society. Parents therefore push their children to excel, often setting the stage for failure. When that happens, parents attack whoever they perceive caused their child to fail.

The Website, Babasagia, described other ways aggressive parents, which it dubbed "helicopter parents," handle parenthood.

They "discourage children from taking the slightest physical risks, such as walking down the street; complain to schools if their child is punished for being naughty; take items banned on excursions like cameras to the location for them; investigate why their upset child wasn't elected school captain; cry bullying if their child has one run-in with another child; deliver fast food for school lunch to show how much they love their child."

In Japan the change is stark because for generations the focus of Japanese culture has been on order and conformity. Now, the London Times report said, the change is likely a "symptom of deeper social troubles," stemming from Japan's economic decline in the 1990s that are now showing themselves socially.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011198813

[Fandango 1,440]

what the fuque

[Ban Hammer 13,622]

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Sounds familiar.

[Nagishkaw 510]

It does.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Well, this isn't directly related, but I remember hearing that some schools were getting rid of competitive sports in PE (like dodgeball) because they didn't want the kids to "feel bad" if and when they (or their team) eventually lost. At the time, I was completely shocked. Now moving back to the story presented in this thread, it seems Japan has jumped on this bandwagon too.

I think what some people need to learn -- or even more importantly, what children will need to learn -- is that you can't always win. That doesn't mean you're a "loser" if you fail. It only means that everyone can't be a winner; it just doesn't work that way.

By the way... just because I know someone will nitpick my "loser" comment, I'll explain that. By "loser," I don't mean "someone who didn't happen to win." That much is very true. In anything where there is a winner or a loser, there will be someone who is one or the other. However, some people might take "loser" to mean "someone who is worthless and not fit to walk this planet." That would be incorrect.

Anyway... if kids don't learn that you can't always win and get what you want, they'll be very surprised (and mostly likely hurt) when they reach the upper grade levels. If it doesn't happen at that point, then it will when they move on into the real world and no one else will care about their feelings.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I hope this makes you liberals slightly happier today.