Does Tiger Mommy Know Best?

I say to each his/her own. No method is supreior over another - its just another way. Those are their standards. If they work for them or anyone else so be it! If one strives to be all that they can be on their own merrit in accordance with the innerself- than that should be sufficient. Granted nothing wrong with guidance and direction along the way- I simply think that ultimately - the way has to be the choice of the child - not the parent. Teaching a child discipline/to master self/inwardly is the key to succcess. Sucess isnt measured by outward competition but by mastering the innerself.

I heard Amy Chua on NPR last night and it really made me want to read her book. She's taking a lot of heat for the WSJ excerpt (the title "Why Chinese Mothers Are Better" was chosen by WSJ--not Chua), but her book is actually a memoir and is not meant to be taken as a parenting manual. Though her methods are definitely too extreme for me, I think she's got an interesting perspective and a compelling story to tell.

There's a part of me that really wants to hate everything about this article, and there's a part of me that agrees with some of the things she said. While I definitely disagree with her emphasis on "excellence" over enjoyment, it's hard to deny the powerful and long lasting effects that her parenting style has had on her children's success. For me, I feel like there has to be a happy medium somewhere--a place where you're challenged and pushed to the limit, but where you can also have fun, and be a KID. Needless to say, I'm EXTREMELY glad I didn't have a mother like Amy Chua. Practicing the piano without bathroom breaks? I would've just peed right then and there.