What Tiger Parenting Is and Why Some Swear by It, While Others Hate It

It seems like tiger parenting should have something to do with that amiable and cheerful tiger from Winnie the Pooh. If only that were true. In reality, we have a relentless feline who sets rigid rules for their cubs. This kind of upbringing is already spreading its influence around the world.

Bright Side prepared a comprehensive review of tiger parenting. See if you can recognize yourself or your parents in the descriptions.

Tiger parents in a nutshell

Tiger parents are the ones who make their kids push the boundaries. Tiger parents don’t raise children, they raise high-achievers whose main goal in life is to set grandiose goals. They take full control of their child’s life, trying to make them successful. Anything that’s not beyond “the best” is “not enough.”

Signs of tiger parenting

• Be the best at everything.
  No matter whether you play the violin or make clay figures, you have to stand out. Tiger parents openly show their dissatisfaction with their child using harsh words like “garbage” or “failure.” Chinese tiger mom, Amy Chua, refused to receive a birthday card made by her daughter because it had been done last minute. “I plan for months. I hand-make the invitations. I spend my salary on waterslides and magicians and party favors. And I deserve better than this,” was her response.
  However, setting high expectations for your child brings greater results. Tiger parents are more likely to help their children become above-average.

• Go for work rather than play.
  Watching TV or sleepovers are considered to be a waste of time. In their eyes, all of their kid’s time should be devoted to improving themselves. It doesn’t matter whether it’s enjoyable or not, if an activity doesn’t bring any value it’s useless. However, productive breaks are allowed.
  A bit of extra studying or reading one more chapter is just fine. Besides, tiger kids don’t have much screen time, that’s why they are more creative.

• Children learn how to be self-sufficient.
  Tiger parents never do their child’s work. Instead, they teach their kids to be responsible. So when little tigers grow up, they know perfectly well that no one is here to do their chores or assignments. Tiger kids have a strong sense of self-reliance. Although tiger parents tend to demand too much, their children end up being better prepared for the harsh truths of life. The main task of tiger parents is to prepare their children for the world.

• Strict rules and routines
  Be home by 7 PM, get up at 6 AM, 21 hours of studying per week, and no social media. According to tiger parents, strict rules keep their children focused and goal-oriented. They also choose everything for their child: what instrument to take up, where to study, what to be in the future, what music to listen to, etc. In simpler terms, they are incredibly overbearing. At the same time, sticking to a routine is actually beneficial to our health. Tiger kids have a lot of things to do, that’s why tiger parents organize their time. This way their kids are not overwhelmed.

• Studying is all about exams.
  Tiger parents sign their children up for various classes as soon as they reach preschool stage. Grades, academic achievements, and degrees play an important role in upbringing. Studying just for the fun of it is not satisfactory to tiger parents. Excellent marks are prioritized more than their child’s inner landscape.
  The good news is, a lot of tiger children enter top universities like Harvard, Oxford, or Yale, among others.

Benefits of raising little tigers

Although tiger parenting is definitely not the sweetest way to parent, some people find it useful. Tiger parents want their children to be happy and successful. They want their child to have a sense of a stable future. Such authoritative parents are convinced that they can give the best things to their child and bring up a well-rounded person.

Besides, once they find out that their kid is interested in a particular activity, tiger parents spend every penny on courses, textbooks, and classes for the benefit of their child.

Tiger parenting might backfire on kids.

Tiger parenting has been proven to cause higher levels of depression among children. They also tend to develop social anxiety and have suicidal thoughts. To top it all off, tiger kids are often more aggressive, as they let out all of their accumulated anger on other people. Lack of support, constant nagging, and never-ending demands to be better are detrimental to a child’s mental health.

Are your parents tiger parents? How do you raise your children?