January 11th

Wow. You don't know how good you have it until you see someone else more messed up than you.

On the day of the first round of finals, my mom showed me a segment that had aired on the Today Show this morning. This particular part of the broadcast was talking about a new book called "The Battle Cry of the Tiger Mom." It focused on a woman who had written this book about the ways in which she went about parenting her children.

During the video introduction, the narrator tells us that the two daughters were very restricted in what they could and could not do socially. Things that were not allowed in the household included sleepovers, play dates, watching television, or playing computer games. Each girl was forced to play either piano or violin, and was required to practice for between 2 and 3 hours a day.

When talking about grades, the narrator asked the oldest girl if she was a perfect A student. The girl's response?
"No, I got an A- once, in Calculus as a Sophomore."
There are two problems with that statement. First of all, an A- is, guess what, STILL AN A. What are you complaining about? I struggle to maintain A- and B+ grades, and you are saying that an A- isn't close enough to perfect? Second of all, Calculus as a Sophomore? That is ridiculous. What kind of math class could she be in now, as a Senior? I can't even begin to fathom what kind of brain surgery she must be capable of conducting at this point.

After the video introduction ,an interview was conducted with the mother and author of the book. She, a daughter of a Chinese immigrant, attempted to use "Chinese values" as the reasoning behind her, if I may say, CRAZINESS. She attempted to explain that, on the basis of hard work, perseverance, and love, she was able to raise two very great kids.

Kids? Try robots. She used her ridiculous ideas about what her culture believes important to raise two zombie daughters, who will never be able to experience what it means to live in the real world. If you are constantly asked to be the best, and no less than that will be accepted, than one day you will fail. Failure is not an option, it is a requirement. How can we learn from our experiences in order to be better people without first failing a few times. When the first time they will fail comes around, they will be so shell-shocked that they will never be truly able to recover from the horror. This mother has successfully doomed her children to years of therapy and mental instability because of her need for excellence.

The news reporter even quoted, and the mother verified, that this woman had once told one of her daughters that if she didn't perfect a piece on the piano, she would "take all of her stuffed animals and burn them." Really? You are saying that to a child and claiming that you will not cause any mental harm or emotional detriment? That is a clear example of dementia right there.

This woman even had to audacity to call out Western living as saying that American parents CONDONE teen drinking, drug use, and pregnancy. Really? Because I'm fairly certain if I came home drunk, high, and pregnant (well, that one would be something of a challenge, now wouldn't it), my parents would flip a taco.

This woman needs to take a very close look at what she is doing in the world. I think this relates to something that I said to one of my friends this week. Wrapped up in the stress and pressure of finals, my friend said that she needed a miracle. In response, I said that I don't think God really cares whether or not you get an A in History class, but rather if you were a good person while doing it. This mother should really consider what she is doing to her children, and ask if she is doing what is best for them in the long run.

God help us all, I guess.