SHANGHAI: Parents are no longer the only authority at home in some families of Shanghai.

Some of them have abdicated their high positions and allowed their school-age children to judge their actions, according to a news from www.xinhuanet.com.

On the bedroom wall of Tong Tong, a pupil in kindergarten, are two calendars that also serve as scoreboards, one for Tong Tong and another for his parents. He reached an agreement with them: Every night they would rate each other's performance for the whole day in areas such as abiding by traffic regulations, behaving politely and saving food.

The scoreboards are like a sword hanging over Tong Tong's and his parents' heads, reminding them to mind their behavior.

For example, Tong Tong had a long-standing bad habit of playing while eating.

Three months after the policy took effect in his family, Tong Tong has become used to finishing eating quickly and then checking the table to see whether his parents have carelessly dropped any rice.

"I used to win the lowest score in terms of following traffic regulations," said Tong Tong's mother, surnamed Wang, who drives to work every day. "Under the supervision of Tong Tong, I have gradually become patient waiting for a green light or in a traffic jam.

"Originally we introduced the scoring policy mainly to encourage my son to behave himself. Now I find we parents have also benefited from it."

Another Shanghai mother, surnamed Xiong, is also a faithful follower of the practice. To her, the goal is to establish a democratic and pleasant atmosphere at home, apart from helping both parents and their children improve their habits.

"Parents and children are encouraged to sit together and discuss an event equally," Xiong said. "Children who grow up in such families are less selfish and more thoughtful compared with their peers."

China Dailly