A Book Review

I, self-admittedly am not an avid reader.  I do enjoy it from time to time, but most of the times that I start, I am usually snoozing within 20 minutes.  Meaning, I have about 5 books going now, all about two thirds in, giving in to my short attention span. 
However: I just finished one, which I'm going to blog about now.  That, in itself being an accomplishment, is not the point of this post.  But please, I'm not ashamed to take some praise.  This one was finished because it made me mad, confused, a bit inspired, and a whole lot of hating the the author. 

If you're into the current news cycle (I am, but usually only politics).. you've probably heard of the "Tiger Mother" concept.  I hadn't, until my Father in Law sent me the book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother."  It's all about the comparison of Chinese parenting versus our apparently lazy Western approach.  The secret to how Asian kids get accepted into great Universities, and their intense journey to get there.  It lacks nothing in terms of insulting the west, (although the author was born here)... and esteeming the gut wrenching, heartbreaking way that these stereotypical Chinese parents "encourage" their children.

That's about as much detail as I will go into about the actual premises of the book.  You can read it for yourself if you haven't fallen asleep already by the first two paragraphs of this post.  And I Would recommend it.  Yet, my recommendation comes for reasons not already argued through a slew of fired up mom's in the New York Times.  My thought is this.  Either way one chooses to parent, how does it look through the eyes of a Christian.  If Amy Chua, the author and star in the book, would have approached her girls through the eyes of a redeemed believer, how might she have done it differently?  I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have called her kids, (and I'm quoting), "Garbage"... but I'm also sure she wouldn't have let them become passive like she correctly accuses Westerners of doing. 
In the words of Francis Schaeffer, "How Should we Then Live?..."  what is our role, as American, Christian, parents?  How do we teach our kids to become like Salt in a subjective, anything goes culture, yet build up their hearts as well?  How do we teach them the importance of hard work and committment because of what Jesus did for us, rather than for the praise of man? (Forgive me, this is NOT a typical post for me!).  

I don't know.  My oldest is 4.  But it's a question worth thinking about, especially at their young age.  Now they are sponges, later they will simply think that we know nothing.  For us, I think we take the approach to our Christian parenting life by reviewing the life of our personal star... Jesus Christ.  Jesus was all loving, yet Always Truthful.  He would never have insulted someone to the core of their being, yet He also never accepted laziness as an answer.  He always demanded change where change had to be done.  But he always did it with love.  (The Woman at the Well, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, ect.).  But He also never said it would be easy.  I'm sure Jesus would have liked to use a few concepts of the Tiger Mother on his disciples some days. 

So I guess that's my answer to Amy Chua.  Your kids might end up being smarter than mine because they were forced into a work ethic by fear.  But I hope that my kids work out their Salvation with "Fear and Trembling"... and if they become concert pianists on their way to Harvard in the meantime... then so be it.  If they follow the hardest working, most honest, smartest leader in history, then I'm sure that they will find a reason to complete their homework.  If they realize that Jesus values commitment, then they will be more likely to keep theirs. 

Read the book.... it's worth the week long turmoil within your brain.  My only thought though... get it from the library.  Don't increase this woman's pride and bank account any more than it is already.