Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my...

 
 

I don’t usually comment on national news or internet sensations or YouTube viral videos. However, I am as disturbed as everyone else by the new book just released about the abusive Chinese mom who wants to hold her parenting skills up for admiration.  I won’t even give you the name of her book because I don’t want to give her any more free publicity than necessary and I don’t think anyone should buy her book. I haven’t read it, nor have I read more than a few excerpts from it. Perhaps for that reason my opinion will be more biased than it need be, but if even one of the stories is true, then I have a few questions.

1. Why did the couple ever have a second child?
2. Why did the father allow such abuse to continue?
3. Why didn’t someone report them to authorities?
4. Why didn’t a teacher try to help the children?
5. Why didn’t some other family member- grandparent, uncle, aunt- try to intervene?

I will tell you what I think. I think that abuse that produces medals and good grades and accolades is overlooked by everyone because we are too busy focusing on the results. We are too enamored of the performance to care about how it was achieved. Sort of like applauding the animal acts at the circus until we find out how the animals were treated in order to get them to do tricks!

I think we should look around and give a pat on the back to sensible parents who are raising their children with love and common sense. Stop giving so much press to extremists.

Have a warm day!

Comments

[Megan]

I haven't read it and don't plan too either. Not being political about it, but reading how oppressed someone is/was isn't my idea of a good time.

My oldest was pegged by his Olympic athlete Tae Kwon Do Master to go to the junior olympics. He is a natural, he is fluid, he is strong. But he is lazy and disinterested in practicing. So we pulled him out after he (I can almost say I) earned the black belt. Disappointing as a parent to have a child with great potential not run towards it, but the tactics being described in that book are not for me, not for us and not for my child.