Children Need Their Own Space To Explore Life Essay Example

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Hanna Rosin nailed it in her article entitled “Mother Inferior” debunking Amy Chua’s belief on American child development. Rosin asserts that American children do not need to be controlled to excel in their own fields of expertise. What the American youth need she stated is the freedom to explore life and to learn on their own. Rosin who is an editor and a mother of three stated that according to Amy Chua’s standards in parenting, she will be branded as a loser mom because she would rather have average but happy children rather than having whiz kids but unhappy. She also iterated that no matter how much control parents will impose to their children, it will not protect them from external influences and dangers. Moreover, without imposing on children, they will eventually explore their own skills and passion. The exploration will push them to voluntarily pursue and excel in their specific passions.
Rosin in her article gave examples of children who grew up in Amy Chua-style parenting who never find happiness and contentment long after childhood. One who is a good friend of hers had to practice violin eight hours a day. The said friend of hers grew up hating music as it reminds her of endless hours of practice which she considered torture. She never played nor touched a violin for a decade already (Rosin, 2011).
Base on how Rosin described the childhood experience of her friend, it is indeed horrible to be denied of the right to play as a child. Eight hours daily of practice for the purpose of perfection to an art “imposed” heartless. Whether or not the child is inclined to a specific art, according to the basic human rights standards, a child has the right to play. The right to play means having enough time daily to do whatever they want without the dictate of other people. It is what Rosin said as “to lighten up and roam free.”
Rosin deserves a hands down for she dared to break into the tradition of “drills and rules” in raising children. She deviated the strict parenting not only in writing but in practice that made her article credible. Everybody went through childhood and it is understandable that no one loved it when they were dictated of the dos and don’ts in life. It feels suffocating to be controlled. Oftentimes, suffocation results into rebellion among many American children. Everybody will surely agree that they longed for a freer and liberating childhood. Anybody who experienced a controlling childhood will want their children to experience a lighter and freer environment to learn on their own. Parenting in drills and rules is always praised by parents and educators who wanted children to excel to the highest level without thinking if children are enjoying what they are told to do. A literature like Rosin’s “Mother Inferior” that is deviating Amy Chua’s method of honing children is worth appreciating.
As Rosin wrote, there are four things that equate to childhood which consist of “spontaneity, freedom, discovery and experience.” Children need space to discover their skills and weaknesses. It is in experiencing the “don’ts” that children will learn “dos.” It is in stumbling that they learn how to stand and walk. Control will curtail the ability of children to discover their own identity. Control will only lead children to dwell on negative feelings like fear and anger rather than positive feelings of passion and happiness. As written in the bullet points of Rosin, happiness can only be felt by a child’s self-exploration. It can never be felt if the freedom to explore is curtailed or denied because of rules and drills.
Not all children are born gifted. It is then impossible to impose on every child to excel. Without imposing on them, children will always find their specific passion and belongingness. Once they found it, they will exert their efforts to excel in it without any pressure. Remember, every person wants independence and children are no exception.

References

Rosin, H. (2011). “Mother Inferior?” The Wall Street Journal online. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703959104576082434187716252