‘Tiger Mom’ Amy Chua reveals biggest regrets in her strict parenting journey
By Ryan General
Bestselling author Amy Chua, infamous for her controversial book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” has expressed remorse for her unyielding parenting methods to her daughters.
Life of a tiger mom: Amy’s “tiger mom” parenting style, described in her controversial book, banned sleepovers, demanded straight A’s and required hours of daily music practice from her daughters, Sophia and Lulu. She would threaten to burn their toys and call Sophia “garbage” if she deemed her as not showing enough discipline in doing her assigned tasks.
While her intense approach earned her widespread criticism, it did yield some success, with Sophia attending Yale Law School and working as a military lawyer, and Lulu graduating with distinction from Harvard University and pursuing a legal career.
A mom’s regrets: In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, the 60-year-old law professor revealed what she regretted most in her children’s upbringing.
“I still believe achieving excellence can bring a lot of benefits, and I’m glad I instilled a sense of grit in my kids,” she was quoted saying. “But the things I regret more are the harsh things I said to them and losing my temper.’
A wake-up call: After facing a near-fatal bout of diverticulitis, she contemplated the things she should have said to her daughters if she had not survived: “I’m so proud of you, and I hope you realize that even though I tend to err on the side of criticism and finding fault, you are so much more talented and brilliant than I ever was. You exceeded my wildest expectations.”
According to Amy, her relationship with them has since improved, noting that they now seek her advice on work and personal matters.
Her daughters’ perspectives: Lulu, now 27, acknowledged that her childhood had its highs and lows. While she appreciates the lessons in resilience and determination instilled by her mother, she also recognizes the stress and loss of childhood innocence that came with it.
In 2016, Sophia lamented in an interview with NextShark that some people misunderstood the book as it’s supposed to be “more like a ‘don’t try this at home guide’” and not about “telling everyone else they should do this with their kid.”
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