Violin According to a Panda Mother

I read Amy Chua's book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, because I wanted to know if she really treated her children the way portrayed in several articles I had read. The book was unbelievable. She claims the way she raises her children is "the Chinese way," but I don't agree with her. I have known several Chinese parents and I have lived in Taiwan...I agree that there is a difference between parenting styles and expectations in Eastern cultures from Western cultures, but she really takes tough love to the extreme.

I often think of her book as my children are practicing the piano and the violin...especially the violin. I marvel that she made her daughter practice the violin 5-6 hours daily including weekends, including vacations. She really must be insane. I'm not kidding. I can handle listening to beginning piano...at least it doesn't squeak. Listening to a child learning to play the violin is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I will set the timer for 30 minutes for Rachel to play and often take away minutes just so she will finish earlier just so I don't have to listen to her. Poor Rachel is still not very far in Suzuki book one. The tiger mother made her daughter practice so hard that she finished book one in one week. Well, my expectations are far from the tiger mother's! I'm definitely a "panda mother." I love this post from author Jean MacLeod about panda mothers.

I'm glad Rachel is enjoying the violin and I don't care if she ever plays at Carnegie Hall.

Rachel has been wondering why I posted video of Erin Joy playing the piano and not her playing the violin. I told her she had to stop squeaking before I posted video of her playing on my blog. I think she is finally past the squeaking stage. I hope. She really wants video of her violin playing on here so this is for you, Rachel. I hope you continue to play the violin only if you continue to enjoy it.