[review] Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

- gambar dari amychua.com -

Judul                   : Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Penulis                : Amy Chua
Tahun terbit        : 2011
Penerbit              : Penguin Books
Jumlah halaman  : 265
Waktu baca         : 2 Januari 2013 - 7 Januari 2013

Buku ini adalah memoar Amy Chua, seorang warga negara Amerika keturunan Cina, dalam mengasuh dua anaknya. Dia mengasuh dengan sangat keras. Gw pas awal-awal baca syok dan stres lah, bengong mangap dan berjengit. Bayangin, anak-anaknya ga boleh

• attend a sleepover
• have a playdate
• be in a school play
• complain about not being in a school play
• watch TV or play computer games
• choose their own extracurricular activities
• get any grade less than A
• not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin, 
• not play the piano or violin

(hlm. 3-4)

Trus kalo lagi ngedampingin anak-anaknya latihan piano atau biola tuh sangar banget edan. Pokoknya gw suka pusing sendiri lah baca cerita yang dia tuturkan dengan sangat jujur dan "berani dicela" ini. Untunglah akhirnya gw dapet "aha moment" yang bikin gw tenang ngelanjutin baca buku ini. Aha moment itu muncul pas Amy Chua ngebandingin gaya pengasuhan "Western parents" dan "Chinese parents" trus dia bilang

Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confodence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.
[...]
Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passion, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits, and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

(hlm. 69)

Akhirnya, buku ini bikin gw refleksi. Tentang gimana gw diasuh waktu kecil, teori-teori pengasuhan yang gw baca, dan gimana gw ingin ngasuh anak-anak gw nanti.
..tapi itu bukan buat dibagi di sini ;p