Important Things
15 Mar 2011 3 Comments
in Tiger Mother
Amy Chua seems intent on having children who excel at the piano and violin. She doesn’t just want them to play well, she wants them to win competitions and be the very best. They can’t play sports, be in school plays, spend hours in the window seat with a good book (I know both of you just went into panic mode with that last one), so I got wondering what I’m intent on making my kids do.
Some parents make their children excel at sports–Olympic athletes for instance. There is also an amazing point guard on BYU’s basketball team (yes, Kate, that Y) and from what I’ve heard about his childhood, everyone in his family was willing to sacrifice so that he could be a great basketball player–and he spent his piano/violin/reading hours in the gym running dribbling and shooting drills.
For me, I want my kids to be workers. I grew up with two philosophies–1) idle hands are the devil’s workshop and 2) you have to work for your whole life so you might as well learn how and how to appreciate work when you’re young.
My mom always made us be active in activities. I think this kept us out of her hair but also she knew that if we were at an activity or doing a job, we weren’t getting into trouble. And if we had constant activities and jobs, then we were too tired in our free time to get into trouble.
I’ve got plans for Isaac to start young–keeping his room clean, making his bed, putting his laundry away . . . followed by taking out the trash, emptying the dishwasher, taking care of the cat . . . followed by digging holes in the back yard and then filling them back in just to keep him busy–like a convict!
Mar 16, 2011 @ 15:14:16
I have always known that I don’t have what it takes to excel at anything, or push my children to excel. That 4am ice skating practice is what I remember from watching the Olympics and how people got there. Is it a cop out to want my boys to be well rounded? I don’t know.
Mar 24, 2011 @ 03:10:50
Jenna, I think of you making Isaac clean his room every time I go into my kids’ rooms, and they are messy (tinker toys, alphabet letters, legos, clothes). I do make them pick up every day. It’s just that EVERY SINGLE DAY it is more huge messiness. With everything. All the time. Waah.
What I am willing to go a little crazy with my kids is the whole electronic device thing. I hate hate hate seeing kids and grown-ups with their iWhatevers, attached to them all the time. Like a mom sitting with her son at Chili’s and both of them pounding away on their devices. I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure that my kids are not addicted to electronics. I’m very strict already with TV limits. I say, “I want you playing or reading.”
Mar 24, 2011 @ 03:13:50
Oh, and I did go into panic mode a little bit about the not reading for hours at the window seat. That’s something I’ve been thinking about re: Tiger Mother. I bet her daughters don’t get much time to enjoy reading. While I truly do respect their accomplishments, they will probably (?) enter adulthood without knowing how to find good books, just to enjoy. Or to learn something, just to enjoy it. I don’t think I could let my kids be that way.