Most of us have heard of the recent Tiger Mother way of parenting based on strict Chinese principle of raising children, as taught to us by Amy Chua's book called "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother".
Chua describes her parenting style as typical Chinese -- all work, no play. Anything other than an A is a failure.
Piano and violin must be played to perfection. Play dates and TV are not allowed, and verbal berating for any kind of perceived slight or failure is common.
This toughens children up, raises the bar and ensures a strong and successful future for the tiger cubs. At least that's the claim.
The book is highly controversial but it's not the only one of this type out there. And the authors, who are parents, are anything but shy.
"French Kids Eat Everything," by Karen Le Billon, is another book that is a new release and causing a stir, insisting that banning snacks and enforcing a "you will eat everything you are given" policy broadens a child's palate for life and stops the problem of "picky eaters".
Picky eaters are an American travesty, the author insists, and should never be allowed to fester.
Parenting books are everywhere. New and first-time parents are usually the ones who know all about them.
"On Becoming Babywise," by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo is a guide that some say forces newborns to cry themselves to sleep and that encourages slapping small babies who don't "behave" in their highchairs. "The Panic Virus" by Seth Mnookin is about autism and vaccines.
And now another book about having a fat child is about to hit the bookstores and this too, is going to cause a stir.
Dara-Lynn Weiss has a controversial article in this month's Vogue magazine, detailing her enforcement of an extremely strict diet and lifestyle for her 7-year-old daughter who was, at least in her mother's eyes, fat. And her doctor agreed.
Weiss has now scored a book deal about her daughter's dieting journey. When her daughter, Bea, was seven, she was 52 inches tall and weighed 94 pounds.
Weiss decided a radical change was needed. She cut her daughter's food portions in half, allowed virtually no desserts and deprived her of an evening meal if she ate too much at school.
Many readers called Weiss out on her actions. Calling her abusive, and a bad mother, they felt she had shamed her daughter into weight loss and that her actions were punitive and emotionally abusive.
But Weiss also has her supporters. With childhood obesity being such an epidemic in America, she was praised by many for tackling her daughters obesity early, to help guard against Bea's weight being a lifetime struggle.
Bea is now a year older and 16 pounds lighter. Weiss has no regrets and believes her methods can really work.
Tell Us
What do you think of these parenting methods that veer away from the mainstream? Do you think parents are too permissive and strict changes can be a good thing? Or do you think the method's these books espouse are too radical?
SOURCE:
"Tiger Mom, Meet Diet Enforcer. " Fashion and Style. Time Magazine. Web. Monday April 02, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/fashion/dara-lynn-weiss-to-write-book-...
Edited by Jody Smith