Parenting East & West

Amy Chua, the author of a memoir entitled BATTLE HYMN OF THE MOTHER TIGER, describes how she raised her three daughters in the, "Chinese," fashion. I have not read the whole book; I have read exerpts and have the feeling the lady is a sadistic control freak. I wonder where her husband was; did he ever try to pull her back? I also wonder if she would have behaved differently if her children had been boys rather than girls. I have no problem with expecting the best of one's children or setting standards. My son was not allowed to have a phone or a TV in his room while he was a teenager. But he was allowed to go to parties as long as an adult was present, and I checked. No adult, no party. There must be something in the middle between East and West. Americans are too easy with their kids, but Ms. Chua goes too far in the other direction.