‘Reversed parenting’: China couples imitate their kids, throw tantrums to promote equal talk

A novel way of bringing up children, known as “reversed parenting”, has become popular among millennial Chinese parents.

The trend sees mothers and fathers mimic the behaviour of their children to promote more equal conversations.

It stems from a viral incident in November 2022, when a mother in Heilongjiang province, northeastern China, allowed her daughter to experience the harsh winter cold first-hand.

In freezing temperatures, the woman’s three-year-old insisted on going outside in a thin princess dress, confidently claiming that princesses in cartoons live in cold places.

Rather than forcing her to wear a coat, the mother let her go and quietly followed behind.

Many netizens praised her approach, saying that letting a child experience something once is more effective than preaching a hundred times.