Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

The title is extremely loosely coined with a novel with the same title. Don’t have it, haven’t read it, yet.

 

Today I overheard a conversation between mothers

‘I won’t let my kid drink cold water. You know how that gets their lungs and how they’ll cough like a bad weather’

‘I’m not letting my son touch chocolate ever! Doctors said he’s allergic to that, and god forbids him if he ever grace that chocolate!

‘My junior high school daughter have serious issue with her school come back routinity. Can you believe that every time she comes back from school, she storms to her room and sleeps in her uniform?! I can’t imagine the sweat, stinks and whatever..’

 

 

To be honest, it was one of those ‘What the h–l?!!’ scene I’ve ever encountered in my whole life. Kids whining abut their mother are as normal as ever. Mothers whining abut their kids are certainly something new, and a bit painful to listen.

 

 

A thing or two about me and my mother,

Mom let’s me drink cold water. Heck as far as I know, I’ve been drinking cold water ever since I could remember! Who doesn’t?

I’m allergic to a thousand and one thing, including seafood, dairy product, egg, peanut, house dust, pixie dust etc. But whenever my allergy strikes (be it from eating or house cleaning) mom never went ‘I told you so’ and act haughty as if it’s solely my fault. She’ll get a glass of water and ask me if I want to rest for a minute or two

Back when I was a junior high, class usually ends at 3 and I arrived at home around 4-ish. Long commute and all. I’m always tired and took pleasure in a short nap until 5-ish with my uniform like a pyjama, Mom doesn’t complain. Maybe my tired face kinda explain it all.

 

 

I don’t know whether mom’s different ways from the other moms are a good thing or a bad thing. But so far I translated it into a piece of sense of freedom, and taking things the way we do it. Andddd how we’re supposed to be responsible with our self.

 

 

Okay, so I was born in probably one of the coldest place (no pun intended, as in literary) in Indonesia. So yeah, cold stuffs are kinda my thing. Chugging down ice water is cool.

Even if more than a half food I like turns out to be those I’m supposed to avoid, so long as I maintain my condition the allergies won’t strike. And I’m not dumb enough to eat a whole dish of sea food when I’m down with flu. It makes my nose runny and it ain’t pretty. So yes, I’m rather responsible with my allergies issue.

All day school sucks, but that’s just what school does, being suck-ish. Dozing with your all day uniform is horrible but I was tired as hell, so don’t push the wrong button.

 

 

But then again I gave a moment or two about the other mothers and weight the pros and cons.

Well cold water is cold, kids with prone body could experience a sudden temperature drop in body heat when they drink straight cold water, it’s scientifically proven. And worried mother bears are the worst kind of mothers.

Allergies are no fun things, avoid the allergens as good as you can because once it strikes, you’ll suffer one painful bedridden session. Moms kinda hates it when you skip school just because you thought that peanut was an innocent chip of chocolate. But my mom doesn’t really mind if I stayed in the house with a severe case of heavy allergic reaction.

Imagine all those germs in your uniform and sleeps with it? That’s just kinda eww.

 

 

There lay in the open field are the pros and cons (sorta) of my mom’s parenting ways. I don’t find it weird, instead I embrace it because it’s mom’s way. My mother’s.

 

 

Other mothers forbid their kids from drinking cold water, and I find it awful. Warm coca-cola is just so wrong..

They also forbids their kids to take the stuff they’re allergic at, but I’m a responsible risk taker and I love CHOCOLATE.

Mothers drag their kids by the scruff and shake them off their all day germ-y uniform into new and fresh one’s. I’m quite content believing my mother trust me enough to know what I’m supposed to do or not. And junior High is all about rebellion niweiz..

 

Point is, different mom brings a different sets of rules. And I’m quite happy with how my mom laid the game rules so far. IMO, the way the other mothers shared their parenting story, mom’s way sounds like a familiar and comfortable child’s play.

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On second thought, I think ‘Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother’ is not really my cup of tea. That kind of books are bound to hurt feelings. Albeit the good reception and my morbid curiosity with growing pains themed books..