Every mother is unique in character and trait. But one thing that unites all Korean moms is their unending affection, love, and care. We can all agree that a mother’s love remains undefeated. But what makes everyone’s mother special? I know what distinguishes my mother from other amazing moms.
Today, we take you into the inside lives of Korean moms. Yes, you did not expect that!
“Eomeoni” means mother in Korean. When referring to her from a larger crowd, one can say “URI,” which means “our.” The Koreans believe a mother is an angel sent to earth to nurture, guide, and protect, like mother nature. I bet you are thinking, why Korean moms? Of course, we ran across the globe to dedicate this article to them. Want to find out why Korean moms have special and unique parenting styles different from the western world? Do not worry. You will find out soon enough.
Korean moms are no different from a typical affectionate mom but what makes them different is their parenting style. We know what you are thinking; other parenting styles are there aside from hugs, protection, and being mushy with kids. There are incredible facts about eomeoni’s that you would want to find out. Sit tight or lay back, whichever is convenient for you and take a quick trip to visit a Korean mom.
Interest yourself in these surprising things about Korean moms
1 They are “tiger moms”
Korean moms have a sweet side but do not mess with them. They would do anything and go to any extreme to protect their babies. How did they gain the “tiger mom” status? Nicely put, they expect their kids to cage their emotions. Korean moms do not like weakness and so crying is a primary display of weakness.
It is reported that Korean mothers are some of the most fierce women on earth. They parent their kids with a stiff hand to always keep fighting( figuratively) at any pursuit and kick of life.
2. Korean moms have an anti-sense of humor
Reading this heading, you would probably think they hate jokes or are devoid of a laughing bone. Korean moms have a weird sense of humor. They crack deep-rooted socio-cultural jokes that the only joke in the room would probably be you. Yes, you.
A typical joke by a Korean mom: “In Korea, if you shake your legs, you shake good luck away from your body.” How do they find this hilarious? I do not know either! But in a way, I think I get it. The things about Korean moms is that they let out a little laugh before switching back to a straight face. What a character!
3. Korean moms would feed you to death
It is no surprise that moms have an attachment to constantly stuffing our mouths with food. They like children to fatten up. It is pretty the same for a Korean mom but with a twist. Korean moms always want their kids to eat. If they see you as a child being idle, they opt to feed you.
Even if you are studying, they would always want to feed you. One of the ways they express their affection is through food! Yes, they love seeing their children eat. They get emotional just watching them eat. Some Korean moms even offer to send food to you at any destination. None of her babies would lack proper feeding.
4. Korean moms value educational excellence
Korea is arguably one of the best at academic excellence. Korean moms make it a duty always to nurture young ones academically. Korean moms make their kids go through rigorous study sessions to gain academically. You could be sleeping, and she would say, “you are not studying harder.” Today, Koreans are some of the smartest in the world. Go, moms!
5. They are fashion enthusiasts
Korean moms do not like to be in the dark. As fashion evolves, so do they. the things about Korean moms is that they rock every outfit; you would think it was made especially for them. Their petite figure allows them to skim through any and every dress. Their signature outfit is jeans, a top, and a knitted sweater tied on their necks like a golf outfit.
Korean moms often compete with their daughters for fun. They believe they are better at fashion and we couldn’t agree less. Yes, uri eomeoni!
6. Korean moms love to guilt trip
If you are stubborn about house chores, it’s not a problem. A typical Korean mom will guilt trip you into feeling inadequate and possibly finishing your tasks. She might remind you of a vase you broke last winter or the one time you failed a test at school. Be warned, never refuse a Korean mom of anything. Else, she would remind you when you accidentally neglected your pet; your aunt got you for Christmas. You do not want her to tell on you, so you obediently end up doing the task.
7. Never negotiate with a Korean mom
Never make this mistake. Korean moms are the world’s greatest hagglers. They can price down your life’s worth, if possible, for a surprisingly ridiculous amount. The best part is, you would not notice! I know, hilarious. Korean kids are embarrassed over this part of eomeoni.
They could put on a garage sale and expect you to buy their goods at a specific price. If you do not, you would be bombarded with insults; you would not know when you would buy it at their cost.
8. Eomeoni’s love expensive accessories
Korean moms adore expensive accessories like jewelry, shoes, and makeup. They would enjoy it more if it did not slip off their wallet. Yes, they love the bling but make sure you swipe your credit cards for them. They certainly earned it.
So, Korean kids do not spend hours apologizing. Instead, they go to the store to get expensive goods. Do you know what the best part is? Korean moms can flip at the mention of the price. You know it, you are expected to price it down, but they would forgive you anyway.
9. Spoil them
Take them out for dinner or a spa. These are the two most respected outings in Korea, so she cannot resist. They love being spoiled but would instead bite their tongue than admit it. Every Korean mom has a soft spot for manicures and spas. If they are angry, they would prefer a spa.
10. Every Korean mom is a doctor
Argue with yourself, but they are all doctors. Their best prescription is green tea and needle pricking. If you have a headache, prick your pinky. If you have a stomach ache, be sure to get your fingers pricked. Korean moms say the first pint of blood that spills is the pain going away. Crazy and out of this world, right? Always remember that you do not want to be forced to do this; follow instructions, and everyone’s happy.
11. Never accompany them to do the grocery store
Yes, resist the urge! It is a proper practice among Korean moms to keep kids at a kiddy corner when at a store while they shop for what they want. Believe it or not, there is no supervision. They may even run off to mingle with friends at the store. Korean kids are left to socialize till their moms are done with shopping. Talk about independence at a young age!
In some other countries, this kind of parenting would deem a sort of negligence on the mother’s part, but Korean moms have a strong belief that their kids need independence. They believe if their kids suck up to them every time, they will turn out weak. In Korea, leaving your parents home for a more worthy life pursuit is paramount. So they are putting their kids through the first steps of independence. Not to worry, the kid’s corner is harmless. Kids often like this section. They look toward the store to depart from their moms.
12. Eomeoni’s refrigerator always smells like kimchi
Koreans have a never-ending love for kimchi. If you are a K-pop fanatic, you know that kimchi is the deal-breaker. Korean moms make sure the fridge is stuffed with kimchi; it smells like one! They make a whole bucket of kimchi every day. It is a non-stop process.
Korean moms do not believe in western snacks. So, they make a dozen buckets of kimchi for every meal. If you have noodles, she serves it with kimchi. Everything is eaten with kimchi.
13. They are powerful
Believe it or not, most of the older generation Korean moms survived the deadly war. During the war, they protected, healed, and treated people. these things about Korean moms are so strong they could single-handedly throw a punch. They work so hard to cater to their kids.
If you mess with kids, they would walk to your house and give you a resounding beating if you prove adamant. It would be beneficial to you if you gently apologized. Never mess with a tiger mom!
14. Korean moms do not discipline their kids till age six and above
I know, what in the world?! Korean moms do not punish kids until they attain six and above. Their kids are not just devoid of respect at an early age; they believe gaining life lessons should start at a more mature age. So, their kids can properly understand everything they are taught and why they are being taught. Once you are off period for discipline, you wish you were a three or four-year-old again. Korean children are subjected to an extreme form of punishment to mold them up.
One of the things about them, they do not welcome third parties indulging in the affairs of punishment with their kids. If you, unfortunately, do that, be prepared for a dose of discipline too. They believe only they have a right to their kids as they brought them into the world alone without your help. I think it is slightly different for other countries, don’t you agree?
15. Eomeonis hate older homes
Yes, they did not raise you to dump them in a home for the elderly. Korean moms believe when they get old, their responsibilities should be taken care of by their kids. They say it gives back to the mother goddess by caring for them at their old age. Take them for little walks, always visit, and never complain about how stressful it is. Yes, you guessed right. The guilt trip again!
16. They do not share a bed with their babies
Everyone is quite conversant with new moms taking naps with their babies to foster closeness and connections. Well, tiger moms disagree.
Everyone sleeps on a separate bed, even newborns. If they want to share a bed with their babies, they prefer to lay a mat on the floor. Koreans respect their floors as it holds sentimental value, and it promotes togetherness within the family. Do you think you are stronger than the average Korean kid? Well, think again.
17. They love perfection
Korean moms expect you to be perfect in anything. If you take piano lessons, they want you to be at the top of the class. If it’s your studies, you better come home with straight A’s. When cleaning, they like their living room spotless as a clean living room says much about the rest of the home to an outsider.
18. Korean moms believe fan death is real
Yes, believe it or not, this is a thing for them. They have this superstition that sleeping close to a fan directed towards you is a bad omen. They say fans could unhinge from their sockets and kill you. I know, this sounds ridiculous and untrue.
19. Korean moms overindulging
Tiger moms want to know everything going on with their kid’s life. It is a new car, a new boyfriend or girlfriend, or a new house. Tell them everything. Could you give them the updates? Else, they could follow you to prom, and you would not want that.
20. Tiger moms never feed their kids cereals
Yes, Korean moms do not believe in western gibberish breakfasts. They think it makes children lazy and weak. They would want to skip school. Instead, they feed you rice balls for breakfast or anything made from rice. It could be rice and stew or soup.
Conclusion
Every mother is unique and special. What makes them special is their diversity. Korean moms are no different from moms in other countries. Eomeonis are passionate about their children’s welfare, and they always want them to succeed in any and every pursuit. I bet you didn’t know these amazing facts till now. What country should we explore next?
