Kyoiku mama

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A kyoiku mama (教育ママ), education mother, is a Japanese mother determined to get her children ahead in life at any cost, hence pushing her children to succeed at school. The implied criticism is that the child fails to develop normal social skills and outside interests because of the narrow focus on academics or that the child, facing such relentless psychological pressure, commits suicide or runs away from home.

Cultural critics, depending on their own beliefs and political biases, reject or accept this phenomenon and terminology with different reservations. Western feminist critics, for example, might question why a similar term doesn't exist for fathers. Such critics might also point to the lack of opportunities for career development for Japanese women and extend sympathy to these women who otherwise lack opportunities for feeling a real sense of life achievement.