so my book club met tonight, and i had a great time talking to these moms about "battle hymn of the tiger mother." after i finished the book, i immediately thought of my good friend who is a concert pianist, and with her sisters who play the violin and cello, make up a famous trio (in the classical music world). i wondered if she had experienced this style of parenting. i remember she was ALWAYS practicing, and had all kinds of teachers and coaches (including meditation coach!). she even missed high school graduation because she and her sisters were to perform in hong kong with the hong kong symphony orchestra. so after i finished the book, i emailed her to see if she had read it and if she had heard of the kids and the teachers and programs amy chua talks about. it was an interesting look at this whole other world that my friend was actually part of. i can't even begin to imagine what that kind of life is like.

anyway, it was very insightful to hear what the other moms had to say, and i think we all agreed that amy chua is too extreme with her parenting. every child is different, and as chua showed, what worked for one completely backfired with the other. altho i could relate to many aspects of her parenting style, i don't see myself being anything like a tiger mother. i want my kids to find their own passions. i want to open their world and encourage them to try things and find the one thing they really enjoy and work hard at it, but i don't want them to feel like they HAVE to do it. i want my kids to find their own strengths, and i will be there to support whatever they choose to do (to a limit of course). but at the same time, i wonder, do i push them just a little when i see that they have a natural gift for something? i guess we'll just have to see if they're a sophia personality or a lulu personality. in any case, i think this was a pretty good book and would recommend it.

i really look forward to our next book club night!