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Author Topic: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?  (Read 1182 times)

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Offline bijou

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Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« on: April 10, 2011, 01:02:01 PM »
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What’s all this bother about Chinese Tiger Moms? Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, has America’s female parents in a swivet. You’d have to take Sarah Palin to a NOW convention to see so many ladies mad at a fellow woman. Practically a third of the Atlantic’s April issue is taken up with Caitlin Flanagan and Sandra Tsing Loh giving Amy Chua the dickens in terms strong enough for Hillary Clinton’s private thoughts on Monica Lewinsky. My wife put it more succinctly: “This person is factory farming her kids.”

I gather Ms. Chua is a total bitch with her children, making them finish homework before it’s assigned, practice violin and piano 25 hours a day, maintain a grade point average higher than Obama budget numbers, and forbidding them from doing anything they might enjoy, such as exhale.

But being a male parent with a typical dad-like involvement in my children’s lives​—​I know all of their names​—​I thought Battle Hymn was great. That is, I thought it made me look great. Not that I read the dreadful book, but I did buy each of my children a copy and inscribed it, “So you think you’ve got it bad?” What with three editions lying around because my kids would rather fool with the Wii than read, I admit I gave in to the temptation to skim. ...
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/irish-setter-dad_555534.html?page=1

PJ O'Rourke is always good value. If you read the original 'Tiger Mom' articles then this is well worth a look.
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2011, 04:23:05 PM »
Heh. :-)
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2011, 07:00:46 PM »
PJ is one of my favorite authors, has been for a long time.  He is a master at humorously deconstructing stupidity.
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Offline Karin

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Re: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2011, 10:59:13 AM »
I love PJ, "Parliament of Whores" is one of my favorite books. 

I read that article in paper form, it's a good one. 
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Offline NHSparky

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Re: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2011, 11:25:08 AM »
Overbearing Asian parents?  Say it ain't so!!!

Then again, most parents try to "involve" their kids in so damn many activities, spend so much money on ballet, soccer, football, etc., that the kids are eventually overwhelmed and miserable.

Hey, parents of America--you want a little advice?  Let kids be kids.  Make 'em do their homework, then let them OUTSIDE to play and burn off their excess energy.  It's free.  No need to send them to $100/hour tutors to get an extra 10 points on the SAT, if they have the talent, they'll develop it on their own, not because you forced it down their throats.
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Offline Karin

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Re: Irish Setter Dad: Whose children will succeed in life, Amy Chua’s or mine?
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2011, 12:59:06 PM »
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buy each of my children a copy and inscribed it, “So you think you’ve got it bad?"
  Which is what I feel like doing to 2 certain stepchildren.  My husband is some upset today, he talked to his 30 year old son on the phone last night and got his ear chewed off about how bad the son's upbringing was.  BULLSHIT and you shouldn't talk to your parents that way.  That kid wanted for nothing, and his sister got the world on a platter.  He's being a petulent baby and she's being a selfish bitch. 

Pushing 30 and he still resents having the belt applied to him ONCE 17 years ago. 

Anyway, rant off.   

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