Indonesian mums great, dads coolest in Asia: survey

Despite the increasing reports on child abuse here, Indonesian parents are among the best in Asia, according to a recent survey on children's perceptions.

The survey, which was organized by Reader's Digest magazine and involved 3,212 girls and boys in eight Asian countries (Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan), revealed that teens in Indonesia gave their mothers the highest mark of A in terms of care for their children.

Indonesian fathers got a C in terms of care for their children, but were considered the 'coolest' in the region, according to the survey.

Teens were asked to grade their parents style in 38 different areas (A for excellent, B for good, C for average, D for below average, F for fail), from how well they showed affection and communicated, to their fashion sense, and how well -- or even if -- they talked to their teens about sex and drugs.

However, the magazine, which will publish the survey's results in its July edition, did not mention the economic and social backgrounds of the girls and boys.

According to the magazine, good communication between parents and children was the key behind the success of Indonesian parents, suggesting that other Asian parents could learn from it.

Indonesian parents were considered able to talk with their children without losing their temper.

Although proud of their parents, Indonesian teens claimed that their parents didn't help them do their homework or take much notice of what was going on at school, while still pushing them to succeed.

The survey did not specify any reasons as to why Indonesian children respected their parents even though they do not really care about their schools.

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post