In Amy Chua 's "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior", an excerpt posted by the Wall Street Journal from her novel, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother", Chua addresses the conception that Chinese parents raise "stereotypically successful kids"(261). As a result of Chua being raised by Chinese parents herself, and also through personal experiences raising her own children, Chua argues that the stricter Chinese parent is far more effective in raising a successful child than that of today 's Western parent. With a title that was written by the editors of the journal, Chua 's excerpt has sparked heavy controversy in the topic. While not everybody is a parent and can argue from their personal perspective of raising a child, many have taken offense to
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With Chua 's parenting techniques forbidding social experiences such as sleepovers and team sports, a child will fail to reap valuable social skills yielded by a little bit of freedom. In James Bernard Murphy 's "In Defense of Being a Kid", Murphy states "Children are not merely adults in training. They are also people with distinctive powers and joys. A happy Childhood is measured not only by the standards of adult success but also by the enjoyment of the gifts given to children alone"(279). Murphy 's claims suggest that strict parenting methods, such as Chua 's, are preventing children from having a happy and eventful youth. As Chinese parents prepare their children for their future, they fall short allowing an overall successful childhood. Personally, my childhood years were the happiest I 've had. Being raised by a single mother, my mom has always encouraged for me to have fun. While I was expected to go to school and get good grades, there was never a constant pressure to perform. If I got a bad grade yeah I got yelled at, but at no point would my parents react in the ways that Chua would to her children getting any grades below her perfect standards. School was always important, but it was never EVERYTHING. My childhood consisted of riding bikes, playing outside until it got dark, making friends, playing sports, flirting with girls, and having adventures with friends. While I still had responsibilities outside of being a kid, such as chores including taking out the trash and emptying the dishwasher, my mother had provided enough freedom for me to have a happy and socially eventful childhood. Through my experiences outside of school, and outside of the house, I picked up valuable social skills that are still of relevance today. Social skills and happiness are two commodities in which Chua seems to have little to no value in
With Chua 's parenting techniques forbidding social experiences such as sleepovers and team sports, a child will fail to reap valuable social skills yielded by a little bit of freedom. In James Bernard Murphy 's "In Defense of Being a Kid", Murphy states "Children are not merely adults in training. They are also people with distinctive powers and joys. A happy Childhood is measured not only by the standards of adult success but also by the enjoyment of the gifts given to children alone"(279). Murphy 's claims suggest that strict parenting methods, such as Chua 's, are preventing children from having a happy and eventful youth. As Chinese parents prepare their children for their future, they fall short allowing an overall successful childhood. Personally, my childhood years were the happiest I 've had. Being raised by a single mother, my mom has always encouraged for me to have fun. While I was expected to go to school and get good grades, there was never a constant pressure to perform. If I got a bad grade yeah I got yelled at, but at no point would my parents react in the ways that Chua would to her children getting any grades below her perfect standards. School was always important, but it was never EVERYTHING. My childhood consisted of riding bikes, playing outside until it got dark, making friends, playing sports, flirting with girls, and having adventures with friends. While I still had responsibilities outside of being a kid, such as chores including taking out the trash and emptying the dishwasher, my mother had provided enough freedom for me to have a happy and socially eventful childhood. Through my experiences outside of school, and outside of the house, I picked up valuable social skills that are still of relevance today. Social skills and happiness are two commodities in which Chua seems to have little to no value in