Her critics echoed the familiar themes. Her kids can\u2019t possibly be happy or truly creative. They\u2019ll grow up skilled and compliant but without the audacity to be great. She\u2019s destroying their love for music. There\u2019s a reason Asian-American women between the ages of 15 and 24 have such high suicide rates.<\/p>\n
I have the opposite problem with Chua. I believe she\u2019s coddling her children. She\u2019s protecting them from the most intellectually demanding activities because she doesn\u2019t understand what\u2019s cognitively difficult and what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Practicing a piece of music for four hours requires focused attention, but it is nowhere near as cognitively demanding as a sleepover with 14-year-old girls. Managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics, understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group \u201d\u201d these and other social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session or a class at Yale.<\/p>\n