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Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

I just finished the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. As a mother, I found it very insightful. While I think Ms. Chua was into extreme parenting, I do think she has a point about expecting the best of our children to show them how much they can achieve. I recommend every parent read this book.

Several of her quotes are worth noting:

On Teaching:

"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until your good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it its crucial to override thier preference."

"I am here to prepare them for the world, not be their friend."

(I superimposed these two ideas onto what it means to be a teacher when I was at a recent interview for a teaching position.)

"Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetion is underrated in America."

(I think she has a point. I wonder if that strategy plus memorization drills would be effective in the unmotiveted, lower-achieving segment of students.)

In reference to an upcoming festival: "Instead of making kids study from books; private schools are constantly trying to make learning fun by having parent do all the work."

(Very funny. This is counter to what I have been taught about multiple intelligences and educational psychology.)

On Parenting:

"Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything...Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud." Her husband Jed feels otherwise. "It's the parents who foist life on their kids...Kids don't owe their parents anything. Their duty will be to their own kids."
I liked Ms Chua's view, "This strikes me as a terrible deal for the Western parent."

"Western parents are concerned with their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength not fragility..."
( I agree we should assume strength but we must keep in mind people have different temperments some of which are more sensitive.)

She does make a comment about how much work goes into Chinese parenting. "Chinese mothers get into the trenches, putting in long hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating, and spying on their kids."

I like that she ends the book by quoteing the Founding Fathers and saying they had the Chinese parenting way of thinking. Her daughters pipe in by saying "then it is an American way of thinking, too."

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