That said, we appreciate all the opportunities children here are given to be creative and to develop their own ideas. American parents discuss things with their children and are more considerate of their feelings. There is something very nice about that. Growing up, I took orders from my parents. I was never asked about my feelings the way American children are.
Adults here are much more generous at paying compliments to children.
Although it is sometimes a bit excessive, it does build their self-esteem. They would then scold me for not studying hard enough. In America, the parents praise the student for correctly answering 90 percent of the questions. Once again, we emphasize the negative whereas Americans value the positive. The challenge for parents is to try to incorporate the best of both worlds.