Moms Talk Q&A: Tiger parenting and student burnout

A phrase everyone has been hearing in parenting circles lately is “Tiger Mom.”

It seems to be everywhere from the local news to CNN to talk show programs to magazines and newspapers. Amy Chua’s strict, Chinese-parenting style with little time left for play has been controversial.

Moms Council member Sylvia Headen said it’s a topic of great interest even though a lot of people may not agree with the parenting style. Council member Nancy Loughin agrees. “I like the ‘Tiger Mom’ discussion thread. I agree this is a hot topic right now among moms. It touches a lot of nerves.”

A Time Magazine article said Chua’s book on tiger mothering implies that children raised with Western parenting styles are “ill-equipped to compete in a fierce global marketplace,” while children of tiger mothers are raised to “rule the world.”

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Herndon High School Parent Teacher Student Association, along with St. Thomas A Becket Church in Reston, will be showing .

The movie is a documentary on how students are being pushed to the brink with advanced classes, activities, sports and more and are becoming stressed out, burnt out and uninspired by the time they reach the workplace.

So, what are your thoughts on parenting styles? Are you strict or do you give your children a lot of freedom? Are you somewhere in between? How do you feel about the workload being given to students? How do you know when it’s too much? Join our as they discuss it in the comments.