She's been called a monster and a role model. Her nickname has become synonymous with super-strict parenting. In some she inspires horror; others cheer her for taking a stand against mollycoddling parents who spoil their children in the name of self-esteem.
She is, of course, Amy Chua, the Tiger Mother. In case you've been on a news blackout, she published her parenting philosophy in a book called "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," and then launched the mother of all book tours. She returns to TODAY on Tuesday to answer questions from readers -- perhaps she'll answer one of yours?
To refresh your memory, here's how the Tiger Mother's book began:
A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it’s like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I’ve done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:
• attend a sleepover
• have a playdate
• be in a school play
• complain about not being in a school play
• watch TV or play computer games
• choose their own extracurricular activities
• get any grade less than an A
• not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin
• not play the piano or violin
Growing up Tiger Mom-style can't be easy, but her daughter Sophia says she actually liked it. On the other hand, plenty of Asian-American adults who were raised by equally harsh parents have spoken out about the physical and mental scars they bear.
What do you think? Tiger Mom certainly inspires strong feelings. Have your feelings about her parenting manifesto changed at all since you first heard her story?