Spoiled Childhood of the Tigger Sherry

On my way to the third floor, I saw the recent controversial book written by Tiger Mother. I've already heard enough about this lady. A Harvard law professor who raised her kids in the hardcore Chinese manner. I started reading.

She really had the typical Chinese parenting techniques. Let's see if I can recall some..

1) "If you don't practice your piano well enough I will burn all your stuffed toys"

2) "A? Where did the plus go???"

3) "School lunch break is a waste of time, I'll pick you up to practice the violin"

4) "Why didn't you do the bonus questions? Are you a bad student?"

They say immigrants expect their kids to work extremely hard academically while mum and dad spoil them with all sorts of tutors, extra curricular lessons, after school practice questions. I remember other immigrant classmates from elementary had their schedule filled with swimming lessons, math lessons, english lessons, piano lessons, Tae Kwon Do, uhh what have I missed? oh right! Chinese lessons if they're Chinese. That maybe leaves sunday free, for them to practice more, study more. Maybe a library day if not church.

For me, having immigrated from Taiwan to Canada felt like a salvation from tests and homework. In elementary, my life was filled with TV, toys, TV, food, TV, stuffed toys. Although, dad insisted that I learn English and math, but for the rest, I was the one who initiated swimming lessons, piano lessons. I asked them to get me a math tutor and send me to a writing class for a few months in high school

Mum once told me, she and dad had decided that I would be their youngest offspring, no more, no more. They have been a bit more strict with Chris the oldest girl and Steve the only son, but as their baby girl, I was spoiled. I C plused through my elementary years, as long as I kept quiet about it, rarely was I asked about it. Dad did get angry after seeing some 10/20 spelling tests and teacher's negative comments about my performance at school, but that's just being a normal parent. I was a pretty crazy kid who madly bikes around around Fraser Heights until sunset everyday. This bothered them, the fact that an 11 year old girl was swarming around the big suburb as she imagined herself on a Harley Davidson. Based on other parents' opinion, I was a slacker I bet!

After reading what I've typed so far, I sound like a spoiled princess who could get anything she wanted with the Bank of Dad, while all mum and dad could say was "what am I gonna do with you!?"But after all, they've done their soft parenting and took the time to talk to me about responsibilities, virtues, and the value of a decent education. I understood them, I stayed out of trouble and behaved alright both at home and school.

Mum and dad rarely comment on what I study in school. Well, mum had wished that I would study business, but after I made my choice, she has been supportive. Since high school, I lived a parent-free life, but I think I managed quite well. They sometimes get upset when I work a bit harder because they are concerned with my physical well being. Mum would often say to her children, "Do you know, I gave you your body. You're using what I have entrusted to you 20 years ago. But you're not taking care of it! You're torturing your eyes, which are actually MY EYES, your liver, my liver, MY LIVER! MINE!"

Once I said to her, "Well think about it mum, I'm doing this for you! You paid for my tuition, I don't want to waste the money, so I must pass the course and make you and dad proud!" I thought this would totally make Asian parents so delighted. But mum went: "BULLSHIT (she didn't say that, but she meant it) IN THAT CASE, DROP OUT!"

Funny enough, while on the phone today, I asked her "so mum, have you heard about the book written by Tiger Mother?"

Mum: "LOL Tiger Mother?"
I went: you know! the Harvard prof who uses hardcore Chinese strategies to parent her kids!

Mum: Is she better than me?

I went: you two are kind of different... but I don't think you can ever reach her level at this
Mum: yeah right, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make you drop out of school, I'll sell the apartment, but I'll pay for your flight back home, and then you can live with mommy and daddy! How about that, can Tiger Mother do that?

I don't think she understood what I meant, but I really thank mum and dad for not giving me the pressure that most Chinese-Immigrant parents would choose to give. Though each methods has its own values, I think I did just fine with this, being a child and a responsible person. Should I have been Amy Chua's daughter, I think we would have driven each other crazy by age 5.

After reading for an hour, laughing through the whole way, I realized I was standing right in front of the parenting section. Why did they put this book in the parenting section? I don't understand, why would Chapters do that? And make me stand there for an hour, no wonder people were staring at me.