- Young Chinese adults are reparenting their parents to heal emotional wounds from childhood
- They teach parents modern skills like using apps, taking selfies, and skincare routines
- Some share hobbies with parents, buying concert tickets and bringing back new snacks
Young people in China are adopting a new trend called "reparenting parents" to heal emotional wounds from childhood and redefine traditional ideas of parental duty. Just as their parents once taught them how to walk, these young adults are now teaching their parents how to adopt modern lifestyles. They teach their elders how to use food delivery apps, take selfies, and follow skincare routines, reported the South China Morning Post.
Some young people share their hobbies with their parents, just as friends do. They buy concert tickets for them or bring back new and interesting snacks from business trips.
Most of these young people are financially independent and feel able to take the initiative in their relationships with their parents.
Some participants explained that by 'reparenting' their parents, they found a way to heal childhood wounds caused by their own unhealthy upbringing and build better relationships with them.
One man said that he initially couldn't stand his mother's constant nagging. But over time, he understood that his mother was anxious and didn't know how to express love because she didn't have enough parenting experience.
A woman named Yolanda explained that she understood her mother's insistence on marriage. She felt that her mother was worried about her being alone in her old age. Instead of arguing, Yolanda chose to calmly discuss her heavy workload, which made starting a family difficult.
