Article November 12, 2012 Issue

A higher goal than 'Tiger Mom'

Kristin Bennett

As a mother of young children, I was enamored with what I perceived as my community’s culture of excellence and success, and I strove to be a “Tiger Mom.”

When Amy Chua’s book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother hit the scene a few years ago, it ignited both admiration and controversy. Her strict mothering style, with special emphasis on achievement, was familiar to me. 

While my parenting techniques were not as extreme, you could say I was a borderline “Tiger Mom.” I battled to have my daughter shine at our regional piano recital, had her on a swim team since preschool, and had her academically on track for acceptance at a competitive American college. My son took Chinese, traveled to China, and also swam competitively.