“Tiger mother,” my husband chided as we were driving back home from a parent-teacher conference. My twelve year old son, Jordan, is in the seventh grade. He was doing very well in his math class, garnering an easy “A”. We were all happy with the grade he was receiving; however, I felt that he wasn’t getting challenged enough. During the parent-teacher conference, I requested that the teacher teach and provide him with a more challenging course of study. She agreed with me and began to explain what she would be able to do to help with the issue. This has always been my attitude towards my children’s education as far back as I can remember. I have always been involved. I have always encouraged them to excel. I would purchase books and enroll them in after school academics. What I call “encouraging” my husband calls “pushy, hence the “tiger mother” label. What is a “tiger mother”? A “tiger mother” is a strict mother who demands …show more content…
The headline read, “Why are Palo Alto’s kid killing themselves?”. Kids-killing themselves. The headline immediately caught my attention. As I read through the article, I felt sad, disturbed, and worried. The article was an account of a series of suicides that occurred in Palo Alto, California. On May 5, 2009 a seventeen year old student from Henry M. Gunn High School committed suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming commuter train. Not even a month later, another student from Henry M. Gunn High School committed suicide in a similar manner. In August 2009, a thirteen year old incoming freshman to Henry M. Gunn High School, committed suicide in the same location. In October 2009, another student committed suicide similary; the student was sixteen years old. Again, in January 2010, a student committed suicide; the student recently graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School. A sixth student hanged himself shortly after the last