compare and contrast

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With my recent marriage and the desire to have children soon, these articles sparked an interesting conversation about parenting and various styles in our household. I think both Amy Chua and Hanna Rosin, made compelling arguments for their own methods. I do not feel as though either extreme is good for the development of children, but not having had any children of my own yet, this a theoretical statement based on my own up-bringing. Having been raised in a more western style, I feel like I may have a bias, and can speak more to that. However, there were several times in my life where I wished my mother would have been a little stricter with my completing my studies. In my essay I will accentuate points comparing and contrasting both styles. Are having flawless grades and being a prodigy musician the pinnacle achievements in life? Is the Western, European-American style of parenting causing our children to fall behind in the education system? When reading this, contemplate your style and consider the examples we are setting for children.
There are many factors that play into the execution of each of the styles; for example culture, religion, and values. With pro and con tactics occurring in both the Asian –American and Western-European methods, it is important to focus on the core principles of each. In the Asian-American culture, Chinese mothers, not only believe that their children are indebted to them for the sacrifices they’ve made, but they also have a standard of perfection based on knowing what their children are capable of, even to the point of disregarding the child’s own desires. According to Chua, "academic achievement reflects successful parenting," and that if children did not excel at school, then there was "a ...

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... thanks to no opportunity of play dates, sleepovers, extra-curricular activities, etcetra. They are focusing all of their time and attention to the singular pursuit scholarly achievement. Conversely, European-American students as a whole are more diverse due to a more lenient learning environment, which is the catalyst for producing an emotional well-being.
I was raised with the notion and understanding that my parents would support whatever endeavors, I desired to pursue, but with the absence of a firm maternal influence stressing commitment and dedication, I often did not succeed. Like I stated before, there were times that I wish that my mother would have been more rigid with achieving better grades. By no means am I saying that I did poorly in school, because I actually did fairly well, but there is the realization that I could have done better if I was pushed.

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