Hyper-parenting and over-schooling : the Tiger Mother approach

In Slate's latest article on Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Ann Hulbert questions Chua's parenting techniques in pushing her two daughters to excel, both in and outside the classroom. Chua's latest book is semi-autobiographical, expressing her belief in the Tiger Mother approach to parenting: push your child to succeed, or else. Rigorous self-discipline results in top performance, and the ends always justify the means. In Chua's non-fiction account, the main character, Amy Chua herself, has two daughters, both of whom are forced to sacrifice a minimum of three hours daily for piano and violin practice, after they excel in their academic studies at school, of course. Chua pushes her daughters to be nothing short of prodigies, and perfection is the only acceptable mark for Sophia and Lulu, her two girls.

Chua's book has made a big splash in national media, forcing us to question our standards when it comes to sending children to school. Do we want them to learn and grow into self-sufficient adults who are comfortable in their own skin or do we want them to excel...or else? Then again, the answer to this question fully depends on how you define excellence. Chua seems to define it quantitatively. Her oldest, Sophia, places first at a piano competition and wins a debut at Carnegie Hall, an all-star achievement for a fourteen-year-old. And then there's that omnipresent goal on the horizon, hovering like a slightly cliche ghost: acceptance by an Ivy League college.

Parents can't help but be slightly swayed by the spirit of the Tiger Mother. She pushes, and she gets results - Lulu and Sophia continue to excel in academics and extra-curriculars. But is there more to the story? Are these kids happy, are they creative, are they individuals or pawns in the statistics of excellence game?

To hear more about these topics, stop by the Tutorpedia Foundation's 2nd Annual Benefit on February 23, 2011 in San Francisco to hear from Vicki Abeles, director of Race to Nowhere, along with featured speakers Dennis Littky of Big Picture Learning and Farb Nivi of Grockit. Don't miss our exciting auction items, take part in the raffle, and try the delicious food! All proceeds from the event will benefit one-on-one tutoring for under-privileged students in the Bay Area.