Chinese Mothers are Superior?!?

When I first read the article Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior from the Wall Street journal, I thought ‘Wow this women is so brave and must have a lot of guts to write about the difference between Chinese vs Western parenting, and challenging the politically incorrectness whilst doing it.’

Originally, I thought maybe she is just some stay at home mum that expressed an opinion on Facebook or something. But she is actually a professor at Yale Law School and author of two other books. I totally admire her boldness, so I read her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother to see what her story was all about. I have great respect for her sharing of her story about life with her two children, and I emphasis on the sharing bit because she is retelling her story and not trying to impose any parenting skills or rules on anyone.

I’m undecided really. On some occasions, I think she is making everything about her regardless of it being piano or dogs or tennis, because she is such a high achiever she tries to impose on her children to be the best at everything they do. But I must admit her involvement is to be applauded because she herself knows all about scales and techniques in order to push her daughters through their music learning, she is not just all talk like some mothers.

The point that strikes close to me is that you don’t give up something because it is hard, which is something I do everyday. I also agree that if given choices children would like to slack off and choose interesting and fun activities as discipline is not learnt or realised at such a young age. Maybe she is going to extremes with not letting them go to the toilet or have dinner and practice until midnight but I think something can be learnt from her style of persistence. You can see Olympians from China doing hours and hours of training in their particular sport from a very young age and they do nothing else at all. So that’s why they can be the world’s best at what they do. But parents have to ask themselves what they want for their children or should I say if parents allow themselves to let children want things for themselves.

She also goes into the different generations of immigrants which I totally agree has everything to do with it as well. I would recommend a read, especially if you have that migrant background because we are so unique. We have our own culture but we also live in a land that is not of our ancestry. I’m not yet a mum, but it has given me some things to reflect upon or prepare when I am ready to be one.

***Photo by bgorsphotography