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

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Yating YangFebruary 19, 2026 at 09:00 AM

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short article 1 min

"Reversed parenting," a new child-rearing trend, has gained popularity among millennial Chinese parents. This approach involves parents mimicking their children's behaviors, such as throwing tantrums, to encourage more balanced communication. The trend originated from an incident in November 2022 in Heilongjiang province, where a mother allowed her daughter to experience the cold weather firsthand, despite the child's insistence on wearing only a thin dress. The mother's approach, which involved letting the child learn through experience rather than lecturing, was widely praised online. The goal of reversed parenting is to foster mutual understanding and more equal dialogue between parents and their children.

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Heilongjiang province 70% China ×290%

Keywords

reversed parenting 100% child rearing 70% chinese parents 70% parenting styles 60% experiential learning 60% child behavior 50% equal conversations 50% millennial parents 50%