Tiger Mom Education Is Good - Essay Example

Tiger Mom Education is good Introduction “Tiger mom” is a concept used to de the strictness exhibited byAsian mothers when bringing up their children. Unlike the western mothers, Asian mothers are focused on achievement, perfected talent, and setting higher expectations for their children. Asian parents believe that with the right form of intervention, children can excel in different activities. Asian parenting is very different from what is practiced in western countries. A Chinese professor at the Yale University named Amy Chua authored a text that appraised the Chinese style of rearing children. The professor is specific that she uses the technique in her household, ensuring that her children deliver an exemplary performance in school and their music classes. There has been an ongoing controversy on whether tiger mom education is better than the Western style of parenting and education. Evidently, the tiger mom style seems to have more benefits, a factor that proves it is a better model than the Western style of parenting. Body Tiger moms present their children with high expectations, a factor that instills self-belief in them. As Professor Chua highlights, Chinese parents make it clear that they expect exemplary performance from of their children. They are not impressed by any grades lower than A. They do not entertain any skill that is not perfect. Placing high expectation on their children without any compromise or excuse makes children believe that they can meet the expectations (Chua 34). Chinese children know that they cannot score anything less than an A. They believe that they can deliver such grades. For this reason, instilling children with self-belief is a positive aspect a factor that is not common in Western parenting. Whereas Western parents do not place high expectations on their children and are more likely to excuse and accommodate failure, Chinese parents do not give any chance to failure. Tiger Mom education places emphasis on hard work, which is a positive attribute that shapes the lives of students. Chinese mothers place emphasis on the need for hard work if their children are to achieve the expected performance standards. Chinese mothers believe that if their children can conform to the ten thousand hour rule of practice, they can succeed. Many of the mothers require their children to undertake music classes. Through hard work, the Chinese parents ensure that their children master the skill of playing the violin or the piano. Tiger mother also teaches children the value of hard work in other subjects. They make children realize that they can deliver an exemplary performance in the classroom if they work harder than their peers do (Huang 56). Teaching children the value of hard work at a tender age serves to shape the life of a child in a positive manner. When they become adults, they have minimal challenges because they realize that they need hard work to excel in their careers. Since they that have witnessed the benefits of hard work in their lives, they are less likely to relax when they expect positive outcomes. Tiger Mom education is worthwhile because it teaches children that quitting is not an option. Tiger mothers do not allow their children to quit after the first failure. Instead, they encourage their children to keep trying until they experience the confidence that comes with mastering a skill. For example, many of the Asian children do not like playing musical instruments. Therefore, they are likely to be terrible at first. However, since quitting is not an option, they keep practicing until they have mastered the skill properly and they can enjoy the benefits of perfected talent (Kohler 52). The Western style of parenting allows children to quit and justifies their quitting by highlighting that the activity is not fit for them. In the Chinese culture, children know that one has to keep trying until they have perfected their skill. In school, Chinese children know that they have to keep trying until they register grade A in all the subjects. Worth noting is the fact that Asian children have learning difficulties likely any other children. However, the fact that they keep trying helps them overcome their difficulties and they can register exemplary performance. Tiger Mom education allows parents to offer their children positive criticism that can challenge them to make something better out of themselves. Offering criticism is not a common aspect of the western culture. Western parents please their children by telling them that everything they do is amazing. However, many of the parents often say that even when they are aware that their children can do better. The western culture only allows for appraisal, leaving no room for criticism. On the contrary, tiger mom education has its basis on positive criticism. Chinese parents criticize their children to push them beyond their comfort zone. Instead of appraising children for little successes, tiger moms criticize such little successes and highlight that more is expected from their children (Yi 193). Asian children benefit from such criticism as they work hard to prove to their parents that they can do better. Although the criticism may involve name-calling, it pushes students beyond their comfort zone. When outside their comfort zone, children are more likely to exhibit a high level of commitment to education. Such commitment contributes to exemplary grades. Therefore, criticizing children is a positive thing done by Asian mothers because it gives children the relevant push to become better. Through the criticism, Chinese children understand that the world has no people who cannot register exemplary performance. The tiger Mom education model places limitations on the amount of media their children can consume. Professor Chua highlights in her text that she limits the number of hours that her two daughters can spend watching television. Compared to children from Western societies, Asian children consume minimal media content. On the contrary, Western parents allow their children to watch television endlessly a factor that increases their media consumption rates (Chua 42). The adverse effects of excessive media consumption are evident in the western societies. However, tiger mothers from the harmful influence of the media safeguard Chinese children. Tiger mothers ensure that their children only consume media content that is fit for their age and that challenge them to become better people (Huang and Gove 389). In the recent past, there have been concerns about the need for parents in the western societies to develop effective strategies for limiting the media consumption among the youths. The Chinese parents have a benefit because they have already instilled self-discipline in their children who realize that they are only allowed to watch specific types of programs on television. Moreover, Chines children recognize that only a few minutes are allowed on the television, therefore, they spend their time studying or perfecting their musical skills. Tiger Mom education is a good model because it promotes high levels of respect for parents. In the western societies, respect levels are diminishing. Children are less likely to remain obedient to their parents. In many cases, children try to subvert the authority of their parents. However, Chinese tiger mothers demand respect from their children while the children understand that it is mandatory to respect and obey parents. Therefore, children take orders and commands from their parents and implement them without question (Kohler 53). The Asian American society has proven to be more respectful than their American counterparts are. The fact that children appreciate the value of respect at a tender age ensures that they become respectful citizens even when they grow up. Chinese adolescents are less likely to be rebellious because they understand what a parent’s authority represents. Chinese parents learn to obey their parent’s commands and meet all the expectations outlined above. Conclusion Without a doubt, many American parents have criticized the Chinese model of parenting without considering the long-term benefits it has on the lives of the children. In the Chinese society, pressure from parents pushes children beyond their comfort zones and motivates them to be top achievers. The parents do not tolerate mediocrity a factor that helps children set higher goals for themselves. Chinese children are more likely to believe in hard work, resilience, and respect for authority compared to their American counterpart. Although the model has been highly criticized, its benefits to the society are evident. Works Cited Chua, Amy. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. London: Bloomsbury, 2012. Print. Huang, Grace H. C., and Mary Gove. "Asian Parenting Styles And Academic Achievement: Views From Eastern And Western Perspectives." Education 135.3 (2015): 389. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 June 2015. Huang, Quanyu. The Hybrid Tiger: Secrets of the Extraordinary Success of Asian-American Kids. , 2014. Print. Kohler, Maxie, et al. "Issues In Education: Tiger Moms--Five Questions That Need To Be Answered." Childhood Education 88.1 (2012): 52-53. ERIC. Web. 8 June 2015. Yi, Joseph. "Tiger Moms And Liberal Elephants: Private, Supplemental Education Among Korean-Americans." Society 50.2 (2013): 190-195. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 8 June 2015. Read More