Could You Be a Chinese Tiger Mother?

Who hasn't wondered why Asian kids who come to or are born in America seem so smart? They score high in all their subjects, especially math, technology, and science. They are gifted musicians especially in playing the violin. Although this may sound stereotypical, there is some truth in these observations.

You can bet your money that Asian-American high-schoolers will graduate at the top of their class and probably be valedictorians. They will quietly accept their scholastic awards, and continue on with their education at top notch colleges like Harvard, Yale and MIT.

America's super minority, Asian Americans have wasted no time in latching on to the American Dream. They have overcome immense difficulties and have become smarter, richer, and better educated than any other minority group.

Writer Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School has given us the answer to "Why Chinese-American children are so smart," in her new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

Ms. Chua says the smart kids are the product of the superior Chinese mother. The term Chinese mother can mean any minority mother whose main business in life is to raise a top achieving, well disciplined, unspoiled child in a rigid, no nonsense environment.

Ms. Chua knows what she is talking about. She was a Chinese daughter and now is a Chinese mother. She shares with us her expertise on raising superior children. What Chinese parents understand is that nothing comes easy. Nothing is fun until you are good at it.

To get good at anything you have to work, and children, on their own, never want to work. It is important to overcome their laziness with fortitude. Things are difficult at the beginning for children to learn things and that is when Western parents tend to give in.

The Chinese mother demands the child, practice, practice, practice. Practice is crucial for excellence. Once a child starts to excel at something like math, piano, violin, or ballet, he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction.

This builds confidence and makes the once not-so-fun activity fun. It then becomes easier for the parent to get the child to work even harder.

Ms.Chau has never allowed her two daughters to attend a sleep-over or a play-date. They have never been in a school play. They don't watch TV or play computer games. They don't pick their own extra-curricular activities.

The girls are not to get any grade less than an A, and they are to be #1 in every class except gym and drama. They are not to play any other instrument except the piano or violin.

One of the daughters once tore a music score into shreds. Ms.Chau taped the music back together and the girl learned the piece. She is an accomplished pianist now. Another daughter has played at Carnegie Hall.

Mama Chau's book is #4 on Amazon.com

Sources:

St. Pete Times

CNNMoney.com

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Superior-Chinese-Mothers-Frustra...

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chau