Today, Parenting is a hot topic. There are thousands of Parenting guide books for every age bracket one’s children goes through. Starting with “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” during pregnancy and continuing to “Don’t Bite Your Tongue,” a book by Dr. Ruth Nemzoff on how to parent adult children, the lists and topics of Parenting books are massive. All of them answering a basic question, “How do I parent?” This brings up an examination of Parenting styles: the good ones, the bad ones, and the worst ones.
In 2011, Amy Chua authored a best-selling book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” giving her the label, “Tiger Mom.” This book “suggested Chinese mothers tend to raise more successful children because of strict, cultural tendencies,” and had critics everywhere discussing the damaging effects this parenting style would have not only on her children, but Asian children in general. 5 years later, The Today Show revisited Chua and her two daughters, now adults, to observe just how damaging Tiger Parenting seems to be.
As a response to the sudden limelight of Tiger Parenting, the American Psychology Association released an article to further explain and give insight into Tiger Parenting. Tiger Parenting can be defined as “those who practice positive and negative parenting strategies simultaneously.” Tiger Parenting, to some level, is primarily seen in Asian families. It has an unhealthy restriction social interaction and development with other children. For example, Amy Chua’s daughters were not allowed to “watch TV, play computer games, have sleepovers or play dates.” Academically, Tiger Parents find anything less than an A to be disgraceful. It has extreme levels of psychological discipline. For example, Amy Chua’s daughter mentions, in the Today Show article of remembering her mother, “threatening to throw my toys on the fire.” Providing scholarly research, the APA found Tiger Parenting produces children who are often less successful academically than those children who have supportive parents, “lower levels of socio-emotional health.” Tiger parents instill shame, guilt, and fear into the children. They also respond to their children’s lack of perfection in anger. It also gives the children an unhealthy level of competitiveness and superiority amongst their peers. None of these products are consistent with a biblical worldview.
While the Bible does encourage discipline (Proverbs 12:1; 13:24, Hebrews 12:11, Ephesians 6:4), these verses also encourage positive disciple. Specifically, Hebrew 12:11 says discipline will “peaceful fruit,” Tiger Parenting discipline does not produce positive outcomes, but low emotional health. Tiger Parenting instills shame, guilt, and fear; whereas, the Bible rebukes fear (2 Timothy 1:7), casts away guilt (1 Peter 5:7), and reproaches worry (Matthew 6:1). Tiger Parents respond to their child’s failure with anger, but James 1:19 says to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” In the Bible, anger in general is not the answer as seen in Proverbs 15:1 and Proverbs 18:21. Tiger Parenting produces an unhealthy level of competiveness and superiority, but the Bible teaches humility (Philippians 2) and equality (Malachi 2:10, Acts 10, Galatians 3).
In the Today Show article, Amy Chua’s daughters tell the reporters that they do not feel they were damaged by their upbringing. In fact, the Today Show almost praises Tiger Parenting for the success of these two women. This exhibits the Today Show’s bias to go with the popular opinion rather than the scholastic research exhibiting the negative effects it has on children which was not mentioned in the article. Once a parenting style the Today Show condemned, the Tiger Mom and Tiger Parenting is praised because of the appearance of these two women who are successful, but the lasting psychological and developmental effects were not discussed. This bias and popular opinion also reveals culture’s value on success and appearance more than a person’s development.

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[ 1 ]. Today Show article p. 1
[ 2 ]. APA Journal Article p. 2
[ 3 ]. Ibid., 1.
[ 4 ]. Today Show article p. 1
[ 5 ]. APA p. 2
[ 6 ]. The Bible, English Standard Version