In a context where education is strictly regulated in Chinamore and more parents are signing up for somewhat special training. In Hangzhou, the capital of the country’s eastern Zhejiang province, Fuying Education offers a range of courses, promising to turn struggling fathers and mothers into “smart parents”.
Within the company, whose mantra is “Fix yourself, not your child”we describe the adolescent crisis as a “illness caused by parents”. However, as the adult students who followed the company’s program eventually discovered, the transition from theory to practice is not always conclusive, tells Chinese state media Sixth Tone.
After reading company founder Wang Jinhai’s claims that his program had helped more than 100,000 families “leave confusion behind”more and more parents are turning to these courses with catchy titles: “Empathy Camp”, “The Art of Speaking”, “Thirty Lectures on Adolescence”, etc.
As in any school, to progress in training, students receive weekly homework. Among them: practicing the Duchenne smile (identified by wrinkles at the corners of the eyes) and accumulating points by studying the course material on an application (the AIBM) launched and operated by Fuying Education. Parents are required to spend at least thirty minutes on AIBM outside of class time, although some report studying up to two hours a day, sometimes even at work.
A “weird atmosphere at home”
On the theory side, a lesson particularly popular with parents teaches them how to cooperate with their toddlers without shouting. Xu Huixin, a teacher who works in the health care sector, intends to promote a three-step technique: “Take stock of the situation, calm down, then practice empathy.” Then, the teacher invites the group to participate in a role play based on a hypothetical situation: for example, a child spending too much time on their cell phone.
For many parents, the course is an eye-opening experience. “Before, I only thought about myself, completely ignoring the child’s point of view”admits Shen, who participated in several role-playing games, including one in which the angriest parents appeared on the board to scold their classmates. With the lights dimmed, the students must have imagined experiencing the full brunt of the abuse. From then on, Shen took care to scribble in his notebook a list of “unacceptable sentences” to avoid during conversations with your son.
In another work, parents are encouraged to post colorful notes in prominent places around the family home, to encourage their offspring by emphasizing their strengths. Students are given a list of fifty “classic compliments” and fifty-two lines of flattery.
Despite its army of devoted fans, Fuying Education has also sparked controversy. According to a report published in March 2024 by the state media The Paper, the company operates according to a multi-level sales model: distributors can sponsor new sellers, and be partly remunerated by a commission assessed as a percentage of the recruits’ sales. Although this practice is legal, it is often criticized in China. Additionally, in July 2024, Fuying was fined 36,000 yuan (around 4,700 euros) for violating Chinese advertising laws – she provided false information in her advertising campaigns.
But that doesn’t seem to have dampened enthusiasm for its products. According to many parents, Fuying classes have become a way to “recharge their batteries” and to relieve their anxieties, which are generally associated directly or indirectly with their child’s academic performance. Others, on the other hand, are less successful. Zhou, a Chinese teenager, deplores a form of “toxic positivity” with her mother since she took the training. Every day, at six or seven in the morning, the latter “starts class, reading motivational stories aloud.” Young Zhou thus regrets a «weird atmosphere at home».
Source: www.slate.fr
