I Do Play Tennis, But I Don't

My Dogs Can't Do Anything--and What A Relief. I Don't Make Any Demands Of Them, And I Don't Try To Shape Them Or Their Future. For The Most Part, I Trust Them To Make The Right Choices For Themselves. I Always Look Forward To Seeing Them, And I Love Just Watching Them Sleep. What A Great Relationship.

The Fact Is That Chinese Parents Can Do Things That Would Seem Unimaginable-even Legally Actionable-to Westerners. Chinese Mothers Can Say To Their Daughters, "hey Fatty-lose Some Weight." By Contrast, Western Parents Have To Tiptoe Around The Issue, Talking In Terms Of "health" And Never Ever Mentioning The F-word, And Their Kids Still End Up In Therapy For Eating Disorders And Negative Self Image.

My Goal As A Parent Is To Prepare You For The Future, Not To Make You Like Me.

I Once Won A Second Prize In A History Concert. My Parents Came To The Ceremony. Somebody Else Had Won The Prize For Best All-around Student. Afterwards My Father Said To Me, 'never, Ever Disgrace Me Like That Again.' When I Tell My Western Friends, They Are Aghast. But I Adore My Father. It Didn't Knock My Self-esteem At All.

You Can't Invent Google, Facebook Or The Ipod Unless You've Mastered The Basics, Are Willing To Put In Long Hours And Can Pick Yourself Up From The Floor When Life Knocks You Down The First 10 Times.