Helicopter parent or dedicated mother? Chinese woman sits in on son’s school classes for three years
Critics say mother crossed a line and the excessive attention could add up to extra pressure on children
An education expert has cautioned parents against following the example of one Chinese mother who has sat in on her son’s junior high school classes for the last three years, Chinese media report.
Dai Jihua said she started accompanying her son to school in Wuhan, Hubei province, when she noticed his grades were slipping, Yangtze River Daily reported on Tuesday.
The boy, only identified as Xiao Hua, had done well in primary school but had struggled with the transition to junior high school.
“I thought it was because of the new environment, but later the teacher advised me to come to class to see how my son fared,” Dai was quoted as saying.
The problem, Dai later found out, was that the son could be easily distracted.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy to break the bad habit, and the teachers could not keep an eye on him all the time, so I decided to go to school with my son to watch over him,” she said.