A review by sherylsheehan
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

4.0

I have been fascinated with this woman ever since I read her Wall Street Journal article that was published before the release of her book. She created a firestorm. Indignant mothers everywhere criticized her parenting style and denounced her tactics as inherently cruel. I was intrigued. I thought she raised valid points and was accurate in many of her descriptions of us "westerners". The book did not disappoint. It provided even more context to support the excerpts in the WSJ and served to humanize a person seen by most as villianous. One comment by the author that will stick with me is that Chinese parents assume strength whereas Westerners assume fragility. Shielding our kids from difficult experiences, higher expectations or criticism of their work doesn't benefit them and it certainly doesn't prepare them for the challenges they will face in life. I don't agree with her approach in every respect, but I vow to no longer herald every scribble as a work of art and I will definitely be more constructively critical of their work. Because my kids are tough. They can handle the criticism. As long as it doesn't berate or shame them.