Am I a Tiger Mom?




Guess which one is Chloe.  I'll give you a hint- she does not have black hair.

 

A friend of mine recently directed me to the article below talking about parents who immerse their kids in another culture so that they can gain a competitive edge later in life.  I found it very interesting given our current life. 

Chloe recently completely her first kindergarten year in a completely Mandarin-speaking environment.  The first few weeks were difficult for her but she quickly adjusted and she liked school from the beginning.  She will return again this fall for her 2nd year of kindergarten.  (They do school a little different here where kids attend Kindergarten two or even three years.)

Why do we send her?

We had several reasons for sending her to all Chinese Kindergarten.  The least important reason was her future competitive edge in the marketplace.  Sure, it's great if she speaks the language that many assume to be the next superpower but I don't think kids who don't learn Chinese are at any great disadvantage. Does language alone create a successful functioning human being? It depends on your definition of success I suppose. I would contend that the character traits of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-Control are far better gauges to a healthy human than the number of languages spoken or what initials appear after a name.

I am reminded so many times that how we want our children to turn out, we must first model it ourselves.  Do you want loving and joyful adult children?  We must be loving and joyful parents.  How about honest and faithful children? Gotta start with us.

Of course, there is a place for education and a need to learn reading, writing and 'rithmetic.  It's also a good idea to be exposed to other cultures. The problem is our tendency to sacrifice our children on the altar of education and then we are surprised when money becomes their God.

How much more freeing would it be to lay our children at the feet of Jesus, model good character in our own lives and then let a God that knows and cares for every hair on each child's head take care of their future.

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/07/17/american-kids-immersed-in-chinese-asian-education.html