ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

Well, I partially agree on this article. I think that the chinesse had gone too far. But that is, part of their cultural believes. It is awful the way they push their children to the limits, absolutly terrible. I have oriental friends and witness at first hand how they take their children's childhood away by enrooling them in extra-curricular studies such as tutoring teachers on weekends, driving them to music, sports, and/or math classes after school. It's just horrible, I feel for these children. On the other hand, I am an E.C.E. teacher and habe being operating a small licensed Family Childcare for 9 years and have the children under my care singing, dancing, or e-nacting a story in front of their parents. Most of the times has come from the children's initiative, they are happy and even prod to perform for their parents and/or other present adults. In my opinion, this is not exploitation of any kind while what they have done in China for the Olimpics it is!

Thank you!

Maritza

Can we take a survey and see who likes the idea of putting on the little shows and who does not. At our center we don't. I feel it is too stressful for the children, however we have some children who live to be up in front of everyone and showing their stuff. During some family events we simply do "open mike night" and see who or what class wants to get up there and show what they have learned.

Both Yang Peiyi and Lin Miaoke would have emotional scars resulted from the last minute decision of the 'perfectionist' organizing team of the 08 Olympic. It is a pity the adults are too particular about perfect looks on TV screen for the millions viewers and ignored the issue of children rights, the emotions and feelings of 2 tender Chinese hearts.

I'm so glad you raised the issue of the McDonald's commercial. The first time I saw it I was appalled at the exploiting of children's sorrow. I think it adds to the case for not doing competitive athletics with children under 12.

Commercials are commercials we all know that it is just showmanship. A MacDonald's meal for a treat once in a while, I think is okay.

What age do children in America start taking tumbling and gymnastics?

I do not know about you but I loved the little rascals and Shirley Temple.

Do not forget that the Chinese also eat dog!

Well said, Carmel. I too picked up on a tone of old fashion propaganda . We live in a global world and every country could be criticized for how they treat their athletes.
China still has a ways to go with human rights, but then under our present administration, so do we.

Achieving excellence in anything, whether it is sports, education, arts, etc. takes not only focused dedication, but also time and money to be able to be privy to the best coaches and sports facilities.
Most governments of other countries provide that for their citizens.
US athletes also spend the majority of their time at their sport giving up family and social life. The difference is that very few US athletes come from families with out the means to provide this for their child. Commercial sponsorship becomes big business.
China is not the only country that helps train their athletes. As an example, an athlete from Germany, who has very little financial means, was able to achieve winning a gold medal because, like many other countries, Germany provided financial help for his training.

Oh my! They had to wash their own plates, and sleep in bunk beds, oh wait that was my family growing up.

How very ethnocentric of us to think we have all the right answers. While we have our child model circuits (JonBenet Ramsey anyone?), the US was watching McD commercials, while the rest of the world was watching their own advertising, that commercial is a reflection on US, not China or the Olympics.

While you can't dismiss the singer and being away from home, you have to place in context of a society that under values girls, and now you have national heroes who are women!!! We take children away from families and put them in substandard settings every day in America, and few of them ever get any better education or future like these young Olympians receive.

How does one determine the emotional experience of children when they are in the context of their cultural norm? Is it exploitive for children to work in the family farm or business, or to be trained in an area of talent? Is it a more satisfying measure of inclusive purpose than being a suburban child who's "job" is to be groomed for success?
Boarding schools for children as young as two are popular among affluent parents, as noted by Marla R. Brassard and Suhong Chen, in their article "Boarding of Upper Middle Class Toddlers in China" © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 297-304, 2005.
I have had enrolled children whose families were provided week-night boarding preschools in their home country, and who felt their children would be comfortable if they could be with their classmates all week.
The issue of the McDonald's commercial is the extension of so many bad ideas: poor sportsmanship, humiliation and derision verging on bullying, placating our children when things don't go their way, purchasing power over intrinsic achievement, food in place of the desired satisfaction and parents playing one-upmanship vicariously through their children! Unfortunately, these are enculturating images and ideas for children and parents, reflecting our culture and predicting our future.

Your articles ususally try to be balanced and fair. These references to China carry a tone of old-fashioned anti-communist propoganda. Do you think that the Chinese don't know that such practices are likely to produce dysfunctional, insecure human beings, not top class, self-confident gymnasts?