Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few weeks, you’ve probably heard talk of the controversy surrounding the “Tiger Mom.” Yale Law Professor Amy Chua recently published an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, “Why Chinese Moms are Superior.” The piece, extracted from Chua’s book, “Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mom,” attacks Western mothers for allowing their children to get distracted by things like drama, sleepovers and video games. Chua sings the praises of the Chinese theory of mothering for the strict discipline and the elimination of foolish activities that prevent a child from achieving excellence in everything. The article has drawn much criticism from working moms. However, one of the things that struck me is the way Chua ignores the value of play.
We often think of play as a break. When children are playing, we think that they aren’t “doing” anything. It is free time, a time for kids to have fun. However, experts around the world agree that play is a fundamental part of a child’s development. According to the legendary Maria Montessori, “play is the work of the child” and allows children to develop necessary social skills, problem solving skills, language skills and physical skills. According to the Child Development Institute, parents should encourage a balance in play activities and should limit adult organized play, allowing children to explore, expand their creativity and make their own rules. Yet, Chua’s method of parenting suggests that such undirected play is a waste of time.
Furthermore, experts agree that it is essential for parents to play with their children. According to the Child Development Institute, “children crave time with parents” and parents should make time to play with their kids on their own terms. Whether it’s playing hide-and-seek or acting out a scenario using stuffed animals, parents should let loose with their kids and not be afraid to get a little silly.
Chua thinks that Western parents are silly for not pushing their kids to the limits and demanding perfection. While I agree with her that playing a game of hide-and-seek with your child may not help him get into Harvard, I don’t think it’s a waste of time. Play is important for both the parent and child. I’d much rather have a happy, well-adjusted child who goes to a local state school than one that graduates from an Ivy League and doesn’t know how to play!
Click here to read Amy Chua’s article.
Source:WAHM.com
March 1st 2011 is National Pancake Day. Pancake Day originated with Shrove Tuesday, a day set aside the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent. In the United Kingdom and many other countries, the day is often known as Pancake Day. Making and eating such foods was considered a last feast with ingredients such as sugar, fat and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent.
