I want to be a Chinese Mother

I have a lot to do tonight to get ready for our trip to the mitten this weekend. But I thought I'd sneak a little post in before I get started on the fixing dinner, cleaning, ironing, packing and planning that is in store for me this evening. (5 hours later...scratch all of that, I didn't do any of it yet...we had a friend in town and we went out to dinner with him and he just left. It might be a late late night.)

I love that through the internet and sites like Twitter, I can find articles I would have never even happened across. Like one I read today, that made me want to be a Chinese mother. But not as extreme as the mother who wrote "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior."

If you don't want to read the whole article, I'll try to sum it up for you in a couple sentences. I really think you should the whole article though.

The author is trying to say that all parents want what's best for their child. Western parents however are very worried about their children's self esteem and how they will feel if they fail at something, they want everything to be fun even if they are bad it or are losing. Chinese parents on the other hand assume their child is strong, not fragile, and can handle being told they're not doing good enough, without it making their son or daughter have self esteem issues.

So, what parts of the Chinese mother philosophy do I want to embrace?

• Assuming our child is strong and not fragile
  

  "Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't." 

• Practice makes perfect, nothing is fun until you're good at it

"What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up."

• Preparing our child for the future 

"Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away."

As I was reading this earlier and again now as I type this, I think about my childhood and how my parents actually had some of the same philosophies as Chinese parents. Specifically, this one time when my dad, for the lack of a better term, made of me for my little sister knowing her times tables better than me and forcing us to flash cards. There are other examples, but this post is already getting long and I have stuff to do.

Not to mention, that after discussing this with the hubby, I have to convince him that I have no intent to be as extreme as the author :)