Amy Chua, author of recent publication “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” writes about the strict methods she used to bring up her children, the same way she was brought up in a traditional Chinese family.
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There’s been huge uproar over her book, many parents feeling strongly that her style is way too strict and leaves no room for kids to be kids. Chua talks about throwing away a card one of her kids made for her because she felt that she could have made a better one. She made her children practice violin 2 hrs a day every day of the year including holidays and only accepted A’s from them in school, anything else was not acceptable. Chua believes that we get to where we want to go through hard work and discipline not natural talent. She thinks that many parents have gone to the extreme in giving kids too much freedom and no boundaries.
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I think there is some merit in what she is saying. We as parents often bow to the peer pressure of what other parents are doing around us in relation to what we let our kids watch, how much internet time we allow, what extra curricular activities we put them in and how many play dates we let them have. I know for me sometimes I expect too little of my kids instead of encouraging them to strive to be better. Also motivating our children to achieve and be disciplined takes energy and time, both of which I don’t always feel like I have, or maybe just don’t prioritise.
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Yes Chua’s parenting perspectives are extreme to say the least, but some would argue that today’s parenting is leaning towards the other extreme. It’s finding the right balance.
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It’s always good to be challenged about why we do what we do and in this case why we parent the way we do and what we could change for the better.
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Listen to her interview on the Today Show (http://t.co/3OC01Aa via @todayshow)
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