PARENT EXPECTATIONS IN CHINA

Abstract

There is much speculation about how China's One-Child Policy is changing the expectations of parents. This study was conducted to provide information about what urban parents, the first generation to raise 'only'children, perceive as their assets and limitations for the new role. A sample of 150 mothers and fathers of only children from 6 to 13 years of age completed a Parent Strengths and Needs Inventory which describes six aspects of parenting : satisfaction, success, scope of teaching, difficulty, frustration, and information needs. Self-impressions were examined in relation to gender of parent and gender of the only child. It was determined that (1) most parents saw themselves as having strengths for raising only children; (2) all parent subgroups identified lack of information about child feelings and perceptions as their greatest limitation; (3) fathers participated in child care more than fathers did in the past; (4) mothers considered themselves to be more successful than fathers; (5) Parents of sons reported more difficulties and frustrations than parents of daughters; and (6) a cross-gender relationship influenced aspects of childrearing, particularly teaching

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