Amy Chua Quotes
-
Kids raised to be pampered and spoiled don't really end up being good leaders. Leaders need to be independent minded and confident.
-
I once won a second prize in a history concert. My parents came to the ceremony. Somebody else had won the prize for best all-around student. Afterwards my father said to me, 'Never, ever disgrace me like that again.' When I tell my Western friends, they are aghast. But I adore my father. It didn't knock my self-esteem at all.
-
Instilling a sense of self-discipline and focus when the kids are younger makes it so much easier by the time they get into high school.
-
Both of my girls have very high self-esteem because they were both able to master certain things; I should think that's good for their confidence.
-
I see my upbringing as a great success story. By disciplining me, my parents inculcated self-discipline. And by restricting my choices as a child, they gave me so many choices in my life as an adult. Because of what they did then, I get to do the work I love now.
-
I saw my parents come over. They were immigrants, they had no money. My dad wore the same pair of shoes, I had some ugly clothes growing up, and I never had any privileges. In some ways, I think the person that I am now, I think it's good that I had that kind of tough upbringing.
-
The Romans thought of themselves as the chosen people, yet they built the greatest army on Earth by recruiting warriors from any background.
-
I'm a proud strict mom and, you know, I'm really proud of the two daughters I've raised. And I'm especially proud of my relationship with them. We're very close. I think we're good friends.
-
There's something suspicious about saying, 'I'm just going to leave my child alone and let her pursue her passions.' You know what? I think most 13-year-olds' passion is sitting in front of the TV, or doing Facebook, or surfing the Internet for hours.
-
I do not think there was anything abusive in my house. Yet, I stand by a lot of my critiques of Western parenting. I think there's a lot of questions about how you instill true self-esteem.
-
When my children were young, I was very cocky. I thought I could maintain total control.
-
Parenting is the hardest thing I have ever done. I tried to find the balance between the strict, traditional Chinese way I was raised, which I think can be too harsh, and what I see as a tendency in the West to be too permissive and indulgent. If I could do it all again, I would, with some adjustments.
-
When my kids wanted to give up on things, I wouldn't let them, and those are lifelong lessons.
-
A Western upbringing tends to stress questioning authority, which is always asking why, why, why.
-
I kind of - I like my life; I feel I have lots of opportunities. And my parents actually having had such high expectations for me - I would say it's the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me. I complained a lot when I was little, but that's how I feel now. And that's why I tried to do the same with my two daughters.
-
Happiness is not always through success. Equally, the constant pursuit of success is sure unhappiness. But we have to find the balance. My own thoughts are that parenting is very personal. And we all feel enormous insecurity about parenting. What are they going to think of us 20 years down the line?
-
I'm a slave to my dogs and go out with them almost every day. They are poorly behaved if they don't run. They really act up.
-
To be honest, I know that a lot of Asian parents are secretly shocked and horrified by many aspects of Western parenting.