'Idealized' devotion

Xiao, from Xi'an, is concerned about the recurring portrayal of mothers as self-sacrificing figures in children's stories.

She pointed to the popular traditional tale Meng Mu San Qian (Mencius' Mother Relocates Three Times) as an example. In the story, Mencius' mother moves home to ensure a good learning environment for her son, an example of how maternal devotion is often idealized.

Xiao said such narratives risk turning mothers into "sacred instruments of sacrifice", defined by their dedication to their children.

"Mencius' mother's greatness is undeniable," Xiao said.

"But where is Mencius in the story? He comes across as a puppet shaped entirely by his environment. Shouldn't the child's choice matter too?"

Xiao also expressed concern that glorifying unconditional maternal sacrifice, without any nuance, can obscure real-life emotional complexities — and in some cases, lead to unhealthy or even tragic outcomes.

Living between two cultures, Yang believes that gender expectations around parenting are not unique to China. From conversations with peers in the US, particularly her Asian American classmates, she has found that similar dynamics persist in Western settings. Some of her American-born Chinese friends said their families still somehow manage to be "traditional".

The imbalance in how mothers and fathers are portrayed and expected to behave, whether in children's books, cartoons, or real life, is a shared cultural issue, Yang believes.