Tiger Moms

Who Benefits From The ‘Battle’ Over Tiger Mothers?

http://www.ypulse.com/guest-post-who-benefits-from-the-battle-over-tiger-mothers

Citation: (2011). Who Benefits From The 'Battle' Over Tiger Mothers?. Retrieved from http://www.ypulse.com/guest-post-who-benefits-from-the-battle-over-tiger-mothers

Reflection:

When I first read a similar article about the book Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua on Yahoo!, I couldn't really see how this would apply to 'tweens', though I was immediately inrigued and had a very visceral reaction to the article. When I saw a guest post on this book on Ypulse specifically applying it to tweens, I jumped at the opportunity to reflect a little more on the article and how it applies to today's tweens.

First, whether you agree with her or not, Chua has put forth some interesting parenting advice in her new book. It is now a spoken part of our culture, and that makes it worth discussing. In Chua's book she claims that her children were required to play an instrument, were forced to practice for hours, never praised, and even insulted. The article takes a negative stance towards Chua and her draconian parenting rules (such as no sleepovers or playdates -- ever). The author of the Ypulse article refutes Chua's claim that Chinese mothers do it best, because Chua's children are not even grown as of yet. Also, Chua relies mainly on stereotypes and attacks many common western parenting practices in her books.

Aside from the book, the article, and my own distaste for everything Chua has had to say about parenting thus far, I think it is important to take note of her. There are tweens being raised in this way, and I am hoping to some day serve tweens. Like it or not, I'd like to be open to tweens of all types, and having a better understanding of where a tween may be coming from is always important. So while I personally disagree with Chua, some tweens will have these 'Tiger Moms'. It is important to be culturally aware of what is going on with tweens if we want to support them properly, remaining objective in the library.

But at home, I can comfortably say that I think Chua is insane. The 'Little White Donkey' incident made me a little sick to my stomach. And aside from understanding from what tweens may be going through on the parenting front, this article helps me better understand how I can support them at school. It reminds me of what I believe, and how I personally want to treat children: with understanding, compassion, flexibility, honesty, and truth.

Resources:
 
Tiger Moms: Is Tough Parenting Really the Answer?

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2043313,00.html

Flinching From the Tiger Mom

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thinking-about-kids/201101/flinching-the-tiger-mom

Tiger Mothers: Raising Children the Chinese Way

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/11/132833376/tiger-mothers-raising-children-the-chinese-way