That is why Chinese parents forced their kids to do what they want, and Western parents simply gave-up because they care so much about their kids' self-esteem. Chinese parents understood that nothing can be fun unless you are good at it, which is why they demand that their kids practice for a long time (Chua 263). Chua included a really strong point in her essays: Chinese parents love their kids too much, and as they think ahead about their children's future, they have a lot of fear -- and that fear makes them force their kids to do challenging things (Chua 265).
As I grew up, my parents (like Chua) were also really strict towards me. They always demanded that I have good grades and would put me into hours of tutoring if I failed their expectations. But the difference between my parents and Chua is that they allowed me explore my hobbies, socialize with friends, and get involved in school activities. In my opinion, having that little bit of freedom really helped me build my own values and other important skills, skills I would not have had if I did not have that niche of freedom. However, I still agree with the way Chua educated and set a high standard for her own children.
Working in groups and building strong teamwork is really an important and crucial skill to have in life. I believe that Chua did not value the importance of socializing and being able to work in groups. I say that because she had a long list of things that her kids weren't allowed to do. The list contained things like not being able to join the school play and not being able to choose their own extracurricular activities. In the other hand, David Brook, a columnist for the New York Times, explained the benefits of working in groups versus working alone. He expounded that working as a group increases the effectiveness of problem solving. Brook gave a really simple example on how swimmers do better when they are in a relay, rather than when they are competing on their own.