“Kyoiku Mama” What does that mean?
Does your mother help you with your homework? Or does she put you in defcon 4 lockdown till you’ve completed all of the homework for the entire summer, and finished assignments for those 10 extra study-helper classes she insists you take? It’s great to have parents help with homework, but if your mom seems to be overly concerned about your academic performance over anything else, she’s a kyoiku mama. Pronounced [ky-oh-ee-kuu-mama], it’s a Japanese term for a mother who relentlessly pushes her children for academic excellence. Not that academic excellence is a bad thing to pursue, but all work and no play makes Jack a dull, joyless creature. And makes fun-time with mom a near impossibility.
Sidenote – A kyoikupapa isn’t anybody’s favorite, either.