flu–next time you find yourself in a conversation like that, you could casually mention to these “tiger parents,” that only time will tell how well their children will actually do in the “real world.”
Controlled family and school environments lend themselves to great accomplishments. When you throw in the wild card of the real world, sadly, many kids crash and burn because their parents did not prepare them for any circumstances beyond their control.
Having raised kids in a very competitive environment in RSF, and seeing how our kids and their friends actually turned out, I can tell you the stats on success are underwhelming.
Thankfully, our kids have done well–I believe, because, although we encouraged and rewarded peak performance in all things, we also raised them with a huge dose of reality.
A large percentage of their friends are definitely not living the lives of their dreams, so if I were the tiger moms and dads–I’d probably wait awhile to pop the champagne cork–at the very least until their kids get “the job” and buy “the house,” or whatever else defines success to them.
