Amy Chua Quotes About Parents

Quotes about: Parents

• The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable-even legally actionable-to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "Hey fatty-lose some weight." By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of "health" and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self image.

  Amy Chua

  Daughter, Mother, Kids

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.10, Bloomsbury Publishing

• Parenting cannot just be one size fits all.

  Amy Chua

  Parent, Size, Fit

• A lot of parents today are terrified that something they say to their children might make them 'feel bad.' But, hey, if they've done something wrong, they should feel bad. Kids with a sense of responsibility, not entitlement, who know when to experience gratitude and humility, will be better at navigating the social shoals of college.

  Amy Chua

  Gratitude, Children, Kids

• Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Giving Up, Self Esteem

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.17, Bloomsbury Publishing

• Unlike Western parents, reminding my child of Lord Voldemort didn't bother me.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Parent, Lord

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.19, Bloomsbury Publishing

• What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. pg 29

  Amy Chua

  Fun, Parent, Chinese

• All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Ideas, Parent

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.17, Bloomsbury Publishing

• I do think that maybe, even subconsciously, a lot of parents in the West are wondering, have we gone too far in the direction of coddling and protecting - you know, you see kids, sometimes that seem very rude and disrespectful. And the more important thing is they don't seem that happy.

  Amy Chua

  Kids, Thinking, Rude

• Western parents try to respect their children’s individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they’re capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Believe, Passion

• Don't assume your child is weak. If you, the parent, assume that they can't take anymore, what kind of signal are you sending them?

  Amy Chua

  Children, Parent, Assuming

• I was raised, myself, by extremely strict but also extremely loving Chinese immigrant parents. To this day, I believe that their having high expectations for me, coupled with love, was the greatest gift that anyone's ever given me. And so that's why, even though my husband is not Chinese, I try to raise my own two daughters the same way.

  Amy Chua

  Daughter, Mother, Husband

  "A Memoir Of A 'Tiger Mother's' Quest For Perfection". "All Things Considered" with Robert Siegel and Michele Norris, www.npr.org. January 14, 2011.

• I see my upbringing as a great success story. By disciplining me, my parents inculcated self-discipline. And by restricting my choices as a child, they gave me so many choices in my life as an adult. Because of what they did then, I get to do the work I love now.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Self, Discipline

• Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything.

  Amy Chua

  Believe, Kids, Parent

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.11, Bloomsbury Publishing

• I kind of - I like my life, I feel I have lots of opportunities. And my parents actually having had such high expectations for me - I would say it's the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me. I complained a lot when I was little, but that's how I feel now. And that's why I tried to do the same with my two daughters.

  Amy Chua

  Daughter, Mother, Opportunity

  "TalkAsia" with Sara Sidner, www.cnn.com. February 3, 2012.

• When I was little, my parents really only wanted me to be a scientist or a doctor; they had never even heard of law school. I think even these days if you were to tell your mother you want to be a fashion designer, or an artist or a writer, a lot of Asian parents would be alarmed because they don't think that's a secure career.

  Amy Chua

  Mother, Fashion, School

• My goal as a parent is to prepare you for the future, not to make you like me.

  Amy Chua

  Goal, Parent, Like Me

  Amy Chua (2011). “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, p.9, Bloomsbury Publishing

• For my senior prom, my father finally said I could go - as long as I was home by 9pm! That was around the time that most people were heading out. When I was little I was so mad at them all the time. Why can't I do this? Why are there so many rules? But looking back now, my parents gave me the foundation to have so many choices in life.

  Amy Chua

  Senior, Father, Home

  "Amy Chua: 'I'm going to take all your stuffed animals and burn them!'". Interview with Heather Hodson, www.theguardian.com. January 14, 2011.

• There are all these new books out there portraying Asian mothers as scheming, callous, overdriven people indifferent to their kids' true interests. For their part, many Chinese secretly believe that they care more about their children and are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. I think it's a misunderstanding on both sides. All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.

  Amy Chua

  Mother, Children, Believe

  "But Will It All Make 'Tiger Mom' Happy?" by Janet Maslin, www.nytimes.com. January 19, 2011.

• I once won a second prize in a history concert. My parents came to the ceremony. Somebody else had won the prize for best all-around student. Afterwards my father said to me, 'Never, ever disgrace me like that again.' When I tell my Western friends, they are aghast. But I adore my father. It didn't knock my self-esteem at all.

  Amy Chua

  Father, Self Esteem, Parent

• Some parents let their kids sleep at other people's houses, where they drink alcohol, watch TV for hours and God knows what else. But if you say you have to get all A's and practice the violin for two hours, then they consider that abusive. That upsets me.

  Amy Chua

  Sleep, Kids, Practice

• I think the biggest difference is that I've noticed Western parents seem much more concerned about their children's psyches, their self-esteem, whereas tough immigrant parents assume strength rather than fragility in their children and therefore behave completely differently.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Self Esteem, Thinking

• The Chinese model calls for giving your kids very little choice - and I've come to see that you can go too far with that. On the other hand, I also believe that Western parents sometimes give their young kids too much choice.

  Amy Chua

  Believe, Kids, Hands

• To be honest, I know that a lot of Asian parents are secretly shocked and horrified by many aspects of Western parenting.

  Amy Chua

  Parent, Asian, Honest

• Westerners often laud their children as 'talented' or 'gifted', while Asian parents highlight the importance of hard work. And in fact, research performed by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck has found that the way parents offer approval affects the way children perform, even the way they feel about themselves.

  Amy Chua

  Children, Hard Work, Parent

• When I'm not the Tiger Mom, I'm a professor at Yale Law School, and if one thing is clear to me from years of teaching, it's that there are many ways to produce fabulous kids. I have amazing students; some of them have strict parents, others have lenient parents, and many come from family situations that defy easy description.

  Amy Chua

  Mom, Teaching, School

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