Hear hear!
Just read a response to a Wall Street Journal article my sister sent us since it mentioned my old high school.For all of the talk surrounding Lynbrook and how "hard" and "stressful" it is, I actually thought it was pretty easy. The stereotype that "all Asian parents pressure their kids" is just that - a stereotype. My mom practically gave up trying to get me and my sister to study by middle school. (My dad was never around to witness the disobedience, LOL.) TV was okay, and so was Internet and AIM. The work got done. Our grades kept up. Sure, I stayed up late all the time (was always a crappy time manager compared to lil sis) but I think that's pretty normal even here at Pomona.
From the WSJ:
When Matthew, now a student at Notre Dame, finished middle school eight years ago, Ms. Doherty decided to send him to Bellarmine College Preparatory, a Jesuit school that she says has a culture that "values the whole child."
And any Asian-majority school doesn't value the whole child? Bullshit. You get what you put in. It's called "parenting." I'm hardly an academically-driven individual - I'd rather be sleeping (haha), painting, drawing, playing piano, or ice skating. I'm not too shabby at any of them, if I must say. I don't think I know anyone else who actively pursues half of the things I do. My sister is a debate whiz and churns out handmade cards like no tomorrow. She's way more academically-driven (and extroverted) than I am, but she's definitely interested in what she's learning, and not just focused on the GPA.
I don't know about anyone else, but I thrive on challenges. You will get me motivated and productive to the max if you say to me, "I don't think you can do this." I'll go and show you. :P
Just this past week a piano piece I was playing was in a really poor state (because I hadn't been putting in the practice time har) and Gayle sort of looked at me askew after I had played for her and said, "Um....I don't think you can do this piece at the performance class this Saturday." Well, I did. When I told her that day what I was playing, she said not to worry if I couldn't get through the whole thing. And I did. Of course it wasn't perfect, but it was a hundred times better than it was earlier that week. (It also took 5 hours of practice time in 2 days, something that I almost NEVER do.)
So yeah. I need to be doubted more often.
I don't know, though. If all parents did that then there would be talk of "Oh, parents aren't challenging their kids enough!" What's a parent to do, really?
posted by sugarfiend @ 4:48 PM
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