No messing now, do your homework! Picture from
A very Happy New Year to you all!!!
There was a very interesting programme on BBC2 today 'Meet Britain's Chinese Tiger Mums'. The programme documents the lives of several Chinese mothers in the UK and how they bring up their young children. Its all about work and little play; its all about discipline too. Each mother believes in the mantra that where there is no pain there is no gain - education leads to a better life and in order to have a good, stable future their children have to exceed in their studies. I am not surprised to see one mother having a timetable of study each day for her young son and another pushing her child to excel on the piano.
Is this wrong? One only has to read about Amy Chua, the Yale Law professor and self-described "Tiger mother" to be instantly in the opinion that this method of parenting is cruel and senseless. When I was young I found it very tough - but it was understood. In order to have security in life you have to work hard, and since having a good education is the key to all this, you have to study hard - what is illogical about that? Having said that, it wasn't just me doing all the work; Mum was working hard too! She even went back to college so that she could teach what she learnt to me.
As I look back I don't think that I missed out on anything when I was a child. TV? There are re-runs to this day. Social skills? I, and I am sure everyone, is still having to learn these through every new person that they meet in their lives. And having a life? I'm living it right now!
While watching that programme I realised that the major lesson during that tough period of our lives is still with me: that although it is hard you must never stop working and you must never stop learning. Also you must always look for opportunities and grab them with both hands. The world is changing all the time and life is getting tougher. To compete and survive you have to be willing to sacrifice some freedoms and be disciplined in order to gain what you want. Reality is tough, so it pays to have that lesson of tough love early on.
Thanks Mum! x
PS - My Mum says that she likes to snack on small children. Haha.
Source: Wonderland: Meet Britain's Chinese Tiger Mums
See also: Times magazine: Amy Chua
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