And in her sacrifices-the exacting attention spent studying her daughters' performances, the office hours lost shuttling the girls to lessons-the depth of her love for her children becomes clear. If the next time's not PERFECT, I'm going to take all your stuffed animals and burn them!'īut Chua demands as much of herself as she does of her daughters. I'm going to count to three, then I want musicality. Oh my God, you're just getting worse and worse. 'According to Sophia, here are three things I actually said to her at the piano as I supervised her practicing: Of course no one is perfect, including Chua herself. They were too busy practicing their instruments (two to three hours a day and double sessions on the weekend) and perfecting their Mandarin. The truth is Lulu and Sophia would never have had time for a playdate. play any instrument other than the piano or violin not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama complain about not being in a school play Here are some things Amy Chua would never allow her daughters to do: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua's iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, her way-the Chinese way-and the remarkable results her choice inspires. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect your children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing environment. What Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reveals is that the Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old.' -Amy ChuaĪll decent parents want to do what's best for their children. This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones. 'This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs.

An awe-inspiring, often hilarious, and unerringly honest story of one mother's exercise in extreme parenting, revealing the rewards-and the costs-of raising her children the Chinese way.

A tiger mother