Conditional Love?
Amy Chua poses with her daughters at home in New Haven, Connecticut. This Yale law professor is best-known for writing Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, a book about cross-cultural parenting differences. Chua never allowed her children to participate in play dates, select their after-school activities, or receive any grade lower than an A. When one daughter behaved “extremely disrespectfully,” Chua called her “garbage” (Chua, 2011, January 8). This type of response lacks what Rogers called unconditional positive regard, or total acceptance of a child regardless of her behavior.

Erin Patrice O’Brien