Commentary: Crazy Rich Asians should stir reflection on what wealth to bestow our kids
Alert: Moving picture spoilers ahead.
SINGAPORE: Crazy Rich Asians may exist most the lavish lifestyles of the uber rich, just it'due south also about love, family ties and leaving a legacy for our children.
Watching the movie prompted me to think, what sort of "wealth" do I want to get out my kids? What are the keys to true happiness and sustainable joy?
Is it found in cloth comforts?
Is information technology in academic success and pushing them to achieve their total potential?
Is information technology in fuelling their passions and talents?
All these are proficient things, but is that all at that place is to lasting, true riches?
HAVING A STRONG IDENTITY
I think the respond tin can partly exist found in the character of Rachel Chu who comes from a working-grade background and was raised single-handedly by her mother, an illustrious woman. Rachel grew up under her wing and now earns a respectable living as an economic science professor.
Rachel is filial, has a stiff mind of her own, and is unfazed by how wealthy or poor her boyfriend is, that is, until she finds out that he'south the heir apparent to a huge global empire and their human relationship comes under strain from his family's scrutiny.
She is intelligent, well-mannered and able to deport herself in tricky social situations. Just what stands out is her character; although she has the choice to ally Nick, she turns him downward every bit she did non desire to drive a wedge between him and his family unit, for whom her social background becomes a os of contention.
Rachel shows true riches lies in knowing where we came from. In spite of her challenging background, she is not lured past the prospect of marrying into riches. Instead she walks away confident in her determination to stay true to herself.
Nigh of us are not born with argent spoons in our mouths. Our parents worked hard to put united states through schools and universities. We in turn work hard to back up our families.
I was raised by my nanny when I was immature. She raised two kids on her own every bit her hubby left her. Although she has since passed on, I think her tenacity and decision, and how she struggled and overcame through sheer hard work and dust.
Knowing our parents' and forefathers' stories of hardship enables united states to meet what nosotros have today with gratitude rather than entitlement.
But why are today'due south kids so decumbent to entitlement?
Perhaps the contempo years of peace and prosperity that we've enjoyed have caused united states to lose that sense of struggle and drive – a theme that was stronger in before generations. Perhaps we are over-protecting our children from challenges.
Having a potent sense of self will also enable our children to make decisions that are aligned to their values rather than exist swayed past the wind, making it a key to truthful success.
How practice nosotros help our kids accept a firm sense of identity? By telling them stories of our own struggles and overcoming challenges, and not allowing them to forget that nosotros are where nosotros are considering of grit.
READ: Crazy Rich Asians, a unmarried story cannot a complete narrative brand, a commentary
ENDURING VALUES
The 2nd key to wealth I hope to get out behind is values.
After catastrophe her relationship with Nick, Rachel meets with Eleanor, Nick's domineering mother, over a mahjong session. Although Rachel has the winning tile, she discards it, leading to Eleanor'due south win.
Rachel and so reveals her winning paw, along with the news that Nick is willing to forego his inheritance and family only to be with her. While Eleanor has dealt with Rachel cruelly, Rachel reciprocates with grace, not vengeance.
If we as parents model values such every bit kindness, respect and resilience, our children may learn character, gain a sense of identity and build a stiff foundation from which to explore the world.
Do we respond kindly when our neighbour accidentally scratches our motorcar?
Do nosotros understand and support our kids in times of failure, such as when our child comes home with his first F class?
Do we intentionally talk about and exercise kindness and respect as a family?
In her volume Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in our All-About-Me World, Michele Borba argues that we demand to "weave kindness back into our hurried lives." She writes:
(Practising) kindness increases children's pro-social behaviors too every bit their happiness, self-esteem, gratitude, popularity, wellness, and resilience.
READ: Crazy Rich Asians: The biggest misconceptions almost Asians co-ordinate to the cast
READ: Non Singaporean plenty? Are nosotros expecting besides much from Crazy Rich Asians? A commentary
KEEPING THE Relationship Start
It is apparent in the flick that Rachel's forcefulness comes from her relationship with her female parent. When Rachel trumps Eleanor at the mahjong tabular array, she walks away hand-in-hand with her mum.
The concluding central to true riches I hope to pass on to my kids is a stiff and indelible parent-child human relationship.
Winston Churchill famously said:
Nosotros brand a living by what we get. Nosotros make a life by what we give.
True wealth is non about getting everything we want in the globe. Sometimes it entails giving away a part of ourselves and learning to footstep aside. It's near understanding that when we strive to win something small, we terminate upwards sacrificing something bigger that might be more important.
I promise that my children will remember me for the love I lavished upon them, the values I taught and showed them, and the stories of my success and failures, rather than for the way I pushed them to achieve academically or in other domains.
By protecting our relationships and living out our values as a family, we are investing in our children's character, which is a legacy worth its weight in gilded, perchance even more far-reaching than a hefty trust fund.
June Yong is a mother of 3, an educational therapist and possessor of Mama Vesture Papa Shirt, a blog that discusses parenting and instruction in Singapore.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/crazy-rich-asians-movie-review-plot-representative-asian-values-256096
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