Little Emperor Syndrome
MY KID IS NOT MALNOURISHED AND SCRAWNY.
Let's get that straight.
She's tiny because mum and dad are vertically challenged...so we're located on the other end of the gene pool, alritey?
Before I go off on my psychobabble, I've noticed that my daughter is able to differentiate two categories of Chinese people, those who know the language and those who don't. I was surprised when a someone asked Mikayla what her name was in English (with a heavy accent) and she replied back in Chinese. I've never heard her tell anyone her Chinese name except when we, the family, ask her.
So...Mikayla thinks she's 'English'. She doesn't understand the concept of race yet because I've never categorized anyone and I'd rather let the teachers do point it out. I think they have a better way to conveying this than I could. She defines Chinese people who doesn't speak proper English as 'Chinese', just like Grandma.
Of course, living in Chinatown, you'd run into all sorts of Asian characters and having to deal with an entirely different subculture down here. A lot of businesses cater to the Chinese, so you have shops and medical offices open on the weekends with plenty of walk-in's allowed. If you go shopping, there are absolutely no exchanges or returns and all sales are final. Weddings are conducted on the weekdays based on the lucky days dictated by the lunar calendar. That's how different Chinatown is in comparison to the rest of NYC.
With this type of exposure, kids are more or less cognizant of the traditions that their families are brought up in. Furthermore, the influx of illegals sailing in created a huge boom in businesses and babies everywhere. What's more frightening than anything else is the re-introduction of the pitiful "Little Empereor" syndrome. It infuriates me because they're too busy preaching the importance of having sons over daughters. Yeah, I have a BIG personal gripe over that.
Due to the one child per family policy over in China, parents have given up their their girls in cruel and horrible means in order to obtain a son. Keep in mind, the country will have major issues procreating as men don't beget children. Whoops, didn't we learn something in Biology 101? And what about those families who didn't give up their daughters? Some of these insane parents raise these girls as sons. They dress, eat and talk like a guy. Because they're only allowed to have one kid, these children spoiled rotten to the core.
In America, babies are popping out at the same rate I'm changing my bed sheets over here. The little boys are kept in the US while the girls are shipped back home to their families until they are 5 years old. By then, they'll be school-age children and hopefully potty trained. Childcare over in China is extremely inexpensive in American dollars, so girls are being punted back.
All of this has now become a staple around these parts. However, there is one element that pisses me off till no tomorrow...the complete obsession with overfeeding. This applies to everyone, not just the illegals. To the Chinese, a bungling overweight kid is a sign of good childcare. These little boys and girls can eat just as much as an adult horse and then some more. Their grandparents constantly stuff them with junk food, meats and anything they can create in their kitchens. Some children are fed to the point where they would regurgitate - to the elders, this is a clear indication of having a 'full stomach'. They have no regard to what overfeeding does to these children nor do they realize the impact this has on their self-esteem when they grow up.
My 6-year-old nephew weighed 103 lbs. He could not walk up a short flight of stairs and would attack everyone's fridge and literally clean it out. When he visited my mom's home for the first time last year, he ate everything in sight - literally. Mikayla is a slow eater and my mother caught him taking her food off of her plate. Because of his extreme size, shopping for clothing has now become a problem and is forced to wear adult sized clothing - with lots of alterations.
Now...Mikayla is about 38 lbs and almost 5 years old. Granted she's smaller than other kids her age OUTSIDE of Chinatown. If we were to gauge my kid based on the American growth charts, she actually falls on or below 25th percentile. While that may seem low, she is very solid and heavier than most of the kids in her class. There are other children who are completely off the charts which would've alarmed a non-Asian doctor.
That same woman who asked Miki what her name was, exclaimed how skinny, scrawny and tiny she is. With the mainland Chinese obsession for obese children, by their definition, I stink as a mother. Simply because I refuse to overfeed my child and make no bones about denying her of certain things. I'm not raising my kid to be a smart-mouthed brat or as enormous as Mt. Kilamanjaro. When these people start blubbering about Miki's size, yes, I do get offended. Are they saying that I don't cut it as a mom because she's not the same size as an adult? Mikayla's father politely defends her size, while I snap right back. What's so attractive looking like a house?
Face it, give up the Little Emperor syndrome because it doesn't work on American soil.
I would be VERY scared if Miki was just as big as Georgie. OY!!
Let's get that straight.
She's tiny because mum and dad are vertically challenged...so we're located on the other end of the gene pool, alritey?
Before I go off on my psychobabble, I've noticed that my daughter is able to differentiate two categories of Chinese people, those who know the language and those who don't. I was surprised when a someone asked Mikayla what her name was in English (with a heavy accent) and she replied back in Chinese. I've never heard her tell anyone her Chinese name except when we, the family, ask her.
So...Mikayla thinks she's 'English'. She doesn't understand the concept of race yet because I've never categorized anyone and I'd rather let the teachers do point it out. I think they have a better way to conveying this than I could. She defines Chinese people who doesn't speak proper English as 'Chinese', just like Grandma.
Of course, living in Chinatown, you'd run into all sorts of Asian characters and having to deal with an entirely different subculture down here. A lot of businesses cater to the Chinese, so you have shops and medical offices open on the weekends with plenty of walk-in's allowed. If you go shopping, there are absolutely no exchanges or returns and all sales are final. Weddings are conducted on the weekdays based on the lucky days dictated by the lunar calendar. That's how different Chinatown is in comparison to the rest of NYC.
With this type of exposure, kids are more or less cognizant of the traditions that their families are brought up in. Furthermore, the influx of illegals sailing in created a huge boom in businesses and babies everywhere. What's more frightening than anything else is the re-introduction of the pitiful "Little Empereor" syndrome. It infuriates me because they're too busy preaching the importance of having sons over daughters. Yeah, I have a BIG personal gripe over that.
Due to the one child per family policy over in China, parents have given up their their girls in cruel and horrible means in order to obtain a son. Keep in mind, the country will have major issues procreating as men don't beget children. Whoops, didn't we learn something in Biology 101? And what about those families who didn't give up their daughters? Some of these insane parents raise these girls as sons. They dress, eat and talk like a guy. Because they're only allowed to have one kid, these children spoiled rotten to the core.
In America, babies are popping out at the same rate I'm changing my bed sheets over here. The little boys are kept in the US while the girls are shipped back home to their families until they are 5 years old. By then, they'll be school-age children and hopefully potty trained. Childcare over in China is extremely inexpensive in American dollars, so girls are being punted back.
All of this has now become a staple around these parts. However, there is one element that pisses me off till no tomorrow...the complete obsession with overfeeding. This applies to everyone, not just the illegals. To the Chinese, a bungling overweight kid is a sign of good childcare. These little boys and girls can eat just as much as an adult horse and then some more. Their grandparents constantly stuff them with junk food, meats and anything they can create in their kitchens. Some children are fed to the point where they would regurgitate - to the elders, this is a clear indication of having a 'full stomach'. They have no regard to what overfeeding does to these children nor do they realize the impact this has on their self-esteem when they grow up.
My 6-year-old nephew weighed 103 lbs. He could not walk up a short flight of stairs and would attack everyone's fridge and literally clean it out. When he visited my mom's home for the first time last year, he ate everything in sight - literally. Mikayla is a slow eater and my mother caught him taking her food off of her plate. Because of his extreme size, shopping for clothing has now become a problem and is forced to wear adult sized clothing - with lots of alterations.
Now...Mikayla is about 38 lbs and almost 5 years old. Granted she's smaller than other kids her age OUTSIDE of Chinatown. If we were to gauge my kid based on the American growth charts, she actually falls on or below 25th percentile. While that may seem low, she is very solid and heavier than most of the kids in her class. There are other children who are completely off the charts which would've alarmed a non-Asian doctor.
That same woman who asked Miki what her name was, exclaimed how skinny, scrawny and tiny she is. With the mainland Chinese obsession for obese children, by their definition, I stink as a mother. Simply because I refuse to overfeed my child and make no bones about denying her of certain things. I'm not raising my kid to be a smart-mouthed brat or as enormous as Mt. Kilamanjaro. When these people start blubbering about Miki's size, yes, I do get offended. Are they saying that I don't cut it as a mom because she's not the same size as an adult? Mikayla's father politely defends her size, while I snap right back. What's so attractive looking like a house?
Face it, give up the Little Emperor syndrome because it doesn't work on American soil.
I would be VERY scared if Miki was just as big as Georgie. OY!!
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