Jay Yoo

This is an interesting article in the WSJ. Actually, you could easily replace Chinese with Korean, Vietnamese, or Japanese.  This is how a lot of Asian kids across the board are raised.  I certainly think there is merit in rote training and being firm with your kids.

However, this is over the top. I just can’t do it in full to my kids.

Amy Chua’s kids rote train for hours and are not allowed to do the following:

• attend a sleepover
• have a playdate
• be in a school play
• complain about not being in a school play
• watch TV or play computer games
• choose their own extracurricular activities
• get any grade less than an A
• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin
• not play the piano or violin.

Really? Her kids are not allowed to be kids? 

I want my kids to excel and am a firm believer in training as the way to being good at anything. That said, I think there is very little opportunity for creativity with this kind of “life box.”

It is interesting to compare and contrast this with Sir Ken Robinson’s views on creativity. There is a difference between rigor and rote.

I actually thank Amy Chua for this article and think it is important for my kids to find what they are good at and work to excel at it.

However, I also want my kids to develop social skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly diverse workplace and world, so play dates are a must.

In the end, we all have to be more than smart and good at something to really succeed; we have to be likable and creative. I did not get a sense of how likable or creative Amy’s kids are or that she places a lot of importance on these aspects of one’s being. 

Well, my kids are getting straight “A’s”. One is in a play and the other is a master at video games. For sure they are super likable, creative and fun!

I think I might send Amy’s kids a whoopie cushion. I wonder if they would know what to do with it?

I was recently turned on to Norman McLaren, who was a pioneer in color animation back in the 1930’s (and beyond).  The time, thought and energy required for his work is mind boggling.  I appreciate the analog world.  Wow!

I went to see Bugs Bunny at Blossom last night with the family and friends and had a ton of fun.  Seeing the Cleveland Orchestra play Warner Bros. Looney Tunes in sync with the animated cartoons caught my imagination.  The creativity of putting together a cartoon, especially back in the 1940’s is impressive to say the least.  Hundreds of people required to create the story, animation and music!

I can not get my mind off of the the innovation in entertainment and art that was going on at that time.