MovieChat Forums > Our America with Lisa Ling (2011) Discussion > Extreme Parenting..what do you do?

Extreme Parenting..what do you do?


while i do not like the parents' approach with the twins re: the "asian" method (i worked overseas for a long time and saw 12 yr olds burned out from too much hw), I didn't like how overweight the 'no-school' kids were...what, you're not teaching them nutrition either?

and don't get me started about the beauty school kids.

what do you think?

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My thoughts exactly. I hope someone is doing a longitudinal study about the effects of home schooling and unschooling. At least many of the home schoolers use a curriculum, and some ensure that their kids are socialized through things like sports leagues. But the family featured in this episode would seem weird even if they were sending their children to school. I fear they are producing odd, unsocialized children. And as a parent I resent the implication that unschooled kids are more curious and creative than others their age---as if kids who go to public or private schools never go to museums or have instructional interaction with their parents. I call BS.

The tiger parents, on the other hand....someone needs to be studying them, too. Their child-rearing methods will work fine until the kids are old enough to start making their own opinions known--like wanting to wear a cap backwards, for crying out loud! And three hours of tennis a day x three days a week is excessive unless it is the kid himself who wants that. I had a tennis-playing child, and it's a sport that's easy to get burned out on, especially for kids who long for the camaraderie of a team. (I thought it was also interesting that these parents reject team sports for their children--God forbid that they get into a situation where someone else is scoring the goal, making the home run, etc.)

Agree too about the beauty pageants, but that part's just too easy to knock down. I will admit, guiltily, to chuckling when the little girl refused to perform onstage, and when the tiger kid kept getting wrong answers to simple math problems.

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"But the family featured in this episode would seem weird even if they were sending their children to school. I fear they are producing odd, unsocialized children."

lynda618,
i absolutel;y agree! i feel sorry for those children because they have strange parents who don't conform to any societal rules or behavior. it's fine to be a free spirit in some ways but not when it comes to children who aren't being educated or socialized.

the lives of the children will be very hard without education, career goals, friends, etc. i didn't notice any discipline in that house, they all seem to do whatever they please, that's not a good way to raise children. letting a child believe he's a martian may be cute to some extent but it won't work outside that house.

these kids need structure, discipline, education and exposure to the real world. they are learning they can do whatever they want, whenever they want.

apparently, the parents also don't believe in jobs, cleaning, haircuts, decent meals, structure and a civilized way of life. one boy said he likes being with his parents all the time so evidently neither parent works.

those kids are heading for tough lives.

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The radical unschoolers- Playing video games all day is not education!

The tiger parents- Little dudes are only 6. They need to relax!

The beauty pageant family- Great that they listened to the girls and stopped doing the pageants. They tried it, and it didn't work out. They moved on. (Follow up episode)

The sports family- Maybe relax the exercise regime a wee bit. Otherwise, family seemed great. Dad in the picture where a lot of kids don't have one and willing to be a positive male role model to kids that need one.

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Just watched a rerun of this episode.

Tiger Parents - Ease up! Your kids are going to burn out and/or rebel when they get older. Kids still need to be kids. With year round school, three hours of tennis three days a week, not being allowed to wear a hat backwards or wear a t-shirt, your kids are under too much pressure. No team sports? Really? Nothing wrong with individual sports if that is what the child wants, but team sports are important too. They teach children to work together to reach a goal, to be a graceful winner AND a graceful loser, and that they don't always have to be the star and can share the limelight.

Radical Unschoolers - You say that your children are equipped and able to make decisions about what to learn and when to learn it, etc., but that's not true. Children's brains are still growing and they do not have the capacity to see long-term consequences of what they choose. Children need some structure and structure does not have to snuff out creativity. It didn't for me. With no structure or deadlines or anything, how are they going to be prepared for college or the workplace. What about entrace exams for college? Nobody uses everything they learned in high school, but you need to know how to learn.

Football Dad - They seem like a great family, but they definitely need to keep their son's life balanced and still focus on the pther children too. Don't pin all your dreams of the NFL on him because it is too much pressure. If that is what he wants, then that's fine, but make sure you're there for him when he has a bad day or doesn't act perfect.

Pageant Mom - She talked a lot about what she wants, but no her girls. When Lisa mentioned that the money might be better saved in a college fund, the mother said that she knows that, but then she wouldn't get her fix of feeling that adrenaline rush when she watches them compete. And, it's teaching that looks are everything. You must be pretty to succeed. Yes, being on stage helps them later be better able to handle things like public speaking, but at what cost? Thankfully, the mother seemed to be getting an awakening at the end.




"Everybody lies.."

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