PrintJanuary 30, 2011
The Tiger Mother Controversy: A False Alternative
The Tiger Mother controversy sets up a false alternative between "Western" and "Eastern" parenting. Western parenting is the liberal parenting method of coddling children and shielding them from the natural consequences of their failures in order to protect their self-esteem. Eastern parenting is the tyrannical method of destroying a child's individuality through psychological and even physical abuse in order to shoehorn the child into a one-size-fits-all mold of perfection. Both methods ignore basic facts of human nature and historical facts about what actually leads to success.Liberal (Western) parenting starts with the false premise that self-esteem is something a child is born with and which must be protected. The truth is that self-esteem must be earned through self-achievement and that in an environment where failure is not possible, neither is achievement. By attempting to shield their children from the supposedly damaging...(Read Full Article)
