Tiger mother

Tiger mother (traditional Chinese: 虎媽; simplified Chinese: 虎妈; pinyin: hǔmā; Wade–Giles: hu³ma¹) is a term which refers to a strict or demanding mother who pushes her children to be successful academically by attaining high levels of scholastic and academic achievement, using methods regarded as typical of childrearing in East and Southeast Asia to the detriment of the child's social, physical, psychological and emotional well-being. The term is coined by Yale law professor Amy Chua in her memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

Mothers who set up rules that overstep conventional parental boundaries are regarded as tiger mothers. Tiger mothers prioritize schoolwork above all else and only allow children to participate in activities in order to potentially win awards which they believe will increase the chance of the child's acceptance to the best schools. It is said that “Asian American parents provide a constant wind beneath their children's wings”; meaning tiger mothers constantly propel their children towards excellence.

Tiger mothers emphasize excellence in academia and award-winning non-academic achievements such as only performing classical music instruments, particularity the piano and violin while eschewing other instruments such as the electric guitar or drums. Some also choosing to incorporate competitive sports for their children. The exorbitant level of expectation often stems from excessive parental love and care, as well as a strong desire to pave the way for their children’s future success.

In her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Chua mentioned that she would yell at her daughters as ‘garbage’ in public. It is shown that tiger parents are equally unlikely to compliment their children in public as well. Children raised by tiger parents are met with emotional threats and low-impact physical punishments if they fail to meet their parents' expectation. Moreover, tiger parents seldom allow their children to make decisions on their own, whether in academia or daily life. For instance, Chua's daughters were not allowed to watch TV at night or have sleepovers with their schoolmates.

...
Wikipedia