My Chinese mother-in-law keeps giving us 'advice' about our parenting that feels like criticism, but my wife says I can't respond directly because it would be disrespectful, so we just smile and nod and then argue about it later, and I don't know how to be authentic while also not causing family drama.
More people experience this than they realize.
The couple is trapped between preserving face for an elder and their own need for autonomous decision-making.
“Where Are You with East Asian time and face-saving?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.