Mikhail Zinshteyn, a writer at Campus Progress (and a former TAP intern) has an interesting take on controversy around Amy Chua's "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" piece:
Perhaps most frustrating about Chua's essay is how impractical her approach to parenting is for most American families. It's terribly time-consuming for the parent to be so thoroughly hands-on. With public funding for after-school programs constantly gutted, parents are in a bind to manage their careers, personal needs, and the primary task of nurturing their kids. Beyond the interpersonal development school plays and athletics programs afford, they also take the load off parents who work well past 5pm. Moreover, for many parents, affording nannies and private care services is fiscally unviable.
There's nothing wrong with being proud of the work a woman does to raise her children, but there is something wrong with praising it while ignoring that it isn't tenable for all.
-- Shani O. Hilton
