Tiger Mom Philosophy on Education

     Some may remember the Tiger Mom, the Chinese woman who wrote the article for the Wall Street Journal that was an excerpt from her book. The article was titled "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior." In it, she discusses the extreme level of discipline Chinese parents often put on their children to succeed academically, and that it is this, and not any special genetics, that results in Chinese children who come across as math prodigies, music prodigies, and so forth. Just plain old very strict discipline and hard work. She also details her disciplining of her own children, and even how a mini war broke out between her one daughter and she.
     Well the article resulted in the largest number of comments out of any WSJ article ever posted in the site's history. I found the article interesting because I think it points out another aspect of balance regarding education, this time in regards to how to educate your child. Some parents go to one extreme whereby they do not discipline their child/children at all. Whatever grades they get are the grades they get. Sometimes this works fine, as the child is self-driven and will study hard and work hard on their own. Other times though, it leads to a kid with no appreciation for learning or education or hard work or discipline, and who thus doesn't learn anything.
     However, then there is the opposite extreme, the parents who plan out their child's lives with practically military precision, who push the child very hard to excel in all subjects. The thing is, just as the lack of any discipline can result in a child who has no appreciation for learning or education, this extreme discipline method can result in the same over the long-term. You get a child who grows up where they never were able to enjoy learning at all. The only thing learning makes them think about is how they were pressured and horribly disciplined. It is where you can have a child that grows into an adult who has a hatred for classical music, simply because all they remember of classical music is being forced under strict discipline to practice it on an instrument. They never had an opportunity to enjoy it or life in general. This can end up resulting in a person who will revolt against learning for a long time even.
     I myself remember in elementary and high school hating music class and art class. I hated having these things forced on me. I didn't gain my love of art and music until I hit my twenties. The same can apply with other areas of learning I think as well. With a child, especially a young child, a balance is thus needed. Children do need discipline and to have the importance of learning instilled into them, but at the same time, they also need free time, time to play, and probably should not be pressured to be some super student that excells in everything. Create a baseline standard for grades that they must get, but otherwise, then just make it where excelling beyond that is up to them.
     I would think that this would result in a person who grows up having an appreciation of learning and education, but who doesn't outright hate learning or education or any particular subject because of it having been forced onto them in a way where if they do not succeed at it, they fail. I would not parent like a Tiger Mom, but I also wouldn't parent in a way completely devoid of discipline either.