Eastern vs. Western Parenting

I always wondered what type of parent I would be… Would I be like my mother? Or would I make it up as I went along? I did not realize how much went into picking a style. Fast forward to less than a week after my daughter was born, I felt weak, unprepared and helpless; nothing like the mother I thought I would be. Reality had sunk in and here I was exhausted and responsible for making sure my daughter grew up to be a well adjusted member of society. I know my husband would say we are a “team” but let’s be real here, I lead and he follows. With what felt like the weight of the world on my shoulders I began my research. Around the same time, a new parenting debate sparked my interest, a Yale professor named Amy Chua published a book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, accompanied by an article in The Wall Street Journal (Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior) discussing the differences between Eastern and Western parenting styles. I did not know that another parenting book brought into the fold would cause such a stir. In the next few paragraphs I am going to go over the major differences between the two styles. First I will begin with the some of the characteristics of the more traditional Eastern way of parenting. Eastern parents have complete control over their children, they feel they know what it always in their best interest and believe that their children can be the best in school; if your child is not the best academically then you are not doing your job as a parent. Eastern parents are not worried about emotionally hurting their children, since they believe their children are always strong, never weak. Lastly, Eastern parents feel that there is nothing more important than preparing their children for the future. They teach them early on the importance of working hard and demanding more of themselves. The advantages show that children of Eastern influenced parents perform better on standardized tests and develop what psychologists call “mastery experiences”.

References: Chua, A. (2011, January 8). Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html Silverman, R.E. (2011, January 10). In Deference of Laissez-Faire Parenting. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/01/10/in-defense-of-laissez-faire-parenting/?KEYWORDS=AMY+CHUA