Mommy Talk Show Candid Conversation with a TV Mom
All over Facebook last week, I saw links to this controversial Wall Street Journal article written about the tough, no nonsense parenting approach Chinese mothers have. It’s an excerpt from a book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” by Amy Chua. I can imagine some American moms and dads were offended by the viewpoint that we are too lenient on our children and that causes them to fail.
I was raised in a pretty tough, no nonsense household by American parents. We had expectations of good behavior and good grades. My parents were also very clear that the front door is where democracy stopped and a loving dictatorship began. Thanks to their parenting approach I got honors in high school and college, then earned a Master’s Degree in journalism. No one ever berated me if I earned a B or kept me from sleepovers, like Chua does with her daughters.
You can find lots of articles and blog posts blasting Chua. I’m not going to add to the noise. She’s a mom on a mission with books to sell. That’s my take on it. Although she’s getting criticized left and right, she also knows there’s no such thing as bad publicity. On trusted retailer, Amazon, she’s gotten favorable reviews.
Chua told the Today Show her book is NOT a parenting guide; it’s a memoir:
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I grew up with Tiger parents as well so I kind of understand where she’s coming from. That drive to make sure your kids excel. Having said that though, I do wish they took a little more time for fun. It sucked being the only kid at school to get grounded for getting a 99 (What happened to that other point?? You should have known that!) when everyone else was happy with an 80.
Now that I’m a parent, I’m sure I’ll do things my child will wish I had done differently. All we can do is what we think is best and hope our children turn out well. My child will probably write a book about how she wished her mother “pushed her more” and spent less time cuddling.