Controversial “parent awakening camps” are attracting anxious Chinese mothers willing to invest significantly in confronting gaming addiction and poor academic performance.

Promoted by an increasing number of family-education services on mainland social media, these programmes promise to transform parenting practices and mend strained family relationships.

Reports from mainland media indicate two primary models: traditional courses and lectures led by certified counsellors, and expensive schemes that have been criticised for exploiting parental anxiety through misleading claims and unqualified instructors.

Most participants are reportedly middle-aged women from traditional households, where men fulfil the role of breadwinners and women are expected to bear most domestic and child-rearing responsibilities.

Zhang Ruilian, a mother from eastern China’s Shandong province, invested nearly 30,000 yuan (US$4,500) in a so-called Wise Parents Awakening Camp, as noted by Jizhou Studio.