How to Create Happy Children is an article by Amy Kim, written in 2011, published in The New Yorker. It details her experiences with raising children using Chinese methods of upbringing.
Throughout the article, Amy Kim uses a very vivid language that appeals to the senses. This is particularly true towards the end of the article, where she recollects an episode involving one of her daughters. It is described how “She punched, thrashed and kicked, ” which gives the reader a very intimate look at her own parenting, with all the unpleasantness it entails. Intimacy is also a central point with regards to her language, as she tells the reader of a great deal of private details from her own life. Her article would not have had the same impact it …show more content…
Amy Kim seems more interested in the fields that can be measured, such as having good marks. Naturally, for a person’s well-being it is necessary to be competent at dealing with other people, but perhaps even more so if one is to have a successful career, as you’ll have to deal with job interviews and presentations to name but a few. Unfortunately, the reader is never allowed to learn what her children are like today, and thus it is difficult to make an assessment of how Amy Kim’s methods have influenced them. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether Kim would give an entirely honest depiction of, as it she is almost certainly biased. Finally, I think Amy Kim’s definition of happiness seems unclear. Indeed, the title of her article is “How to Create Happy Children”, but she seems more focused on letting them be successful – whether for it is for material comforts or other reasons is unclear. I suppose success is a form of happiness in and of itself, but can’t it be possible to happy without being successful? With that said, though, I think it’s important to not condemn Amy Kim’s stances. Even though she seems like a far too strict disciplinarian, she clearly cares for children, as evidenced best by the episode after she had taught Lulu to play the piece on the piano: “That night, she came to sleep in my bed, and we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up .” Even though tensions often run high, they do have a loving
Throughout the article, Amy Kim uses a very vivid language that appeals to the senses. This is particularly true towards the end of the article, where she recollects an episode involving one of her daughters. It is described how “She punched, thrashed and kicked, ” which gives the reader a very intimate look at her own parenting, with all the unpleasantness it entails. Intimacy is also a central point with regards to her language, as she tells the reader of a great deal of private details from her own life. Her article would not have had the same impact it …show more content…
Amy Kim seems more interested in the fields that can be measured, such as having good marks. Naturally, for a person’s well-being it is necessary to be competent at dealing with other people, but perhaps even more so if one is to have a successful career, as you’ll have to deal with job interviews and presentations to name but a few. Unfortunately, the reader is never allowed to learn what her children are like today, and thus it is difficult to make an assessment of how Amy Kim’s methods have influenced them. Furthermore, it is doubtful whether Kim would give an entirely honest depiction of, as it she is almost certainly biased. Finally, I think Amy Kim’s definition of happiness seems unclear. Indeed, the title of her article is “How to Create Happy Children”, but she seems more focused on letting them be successful – whether for it is for material comforts or other reasons is unclear. I suppose success is a form of happiness in and of itself, but can’t it be possible to happy without being successful? With that said, though, I think it’s important to not condemn Amy Kim’s stances. Even though she seems like a far too strict disciplinarian, she clearly cares for children, as evidenced best by the episode after she had taught Lulu to play the piece on the piano: “That night, she came to sleep in my bed, and we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up .” Even though tensions often run high, they do have a loving